Manawatū updates to the ‘heaps better’ new and improved version 2.0 in latest campaign via Yarn

Many Kiwis may have preconceived ideas about the Manawatū region from past memories, but a lot has changed since then, making it much more of a tourism destination. Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) and independent creative agency Yarn have created a tongue-in-cheek campaign that launches the Manawatū region as a new and improved 2.0 version, highlighting all the new features to the region.

Says Jerry Shearman, CEO, CEDA: “When you don’t have bubbling mud or bungy jumps, you have to think a bit differently to stand out. Yarn were exactly the right team to help us with a bold and creative idea to help New Zealand realise the Manawatū has more to offer than they think. Turns out most of the opinions shared about our place are from people who’ve never been here!”

Before the release, Manawatū publicly shut down its website and social channels up until 11.59pm [Wednesday 2 November] when the new campaign went live, starring the region’s quirky IT Manager.

Says Matt Sellars and Rich Robson, creative partners at Yarn: “If it’s been awhile since you last visited the mighty Manawatū, we are simply asking you to forget everything you may have experienced in the past, or vaguely remember from a friend’s uni party, because the new version is honestly heaps better.”

Says Heath Davy, managing partner, Yarn: “After our recent successes with Tourism New Zealand, we were invited by CEDA to pitch for the Manawatū account earlier in the year. We saw this as an awesome opportunity to showcase our thinking at a more regional level and have absolutely enjoyed working with a great bunch of people.”

The hero video and supporting campaign showcases some of the region’s best features that are expected to entice and draw in visitors [new and old] from across New Zealand, particularly those within a three-hour drive from around Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki and Wairarapa, or those from the key ‘one easy flight’ regions such as Hamilton, Christchurch and Auckland.

Updates include improved accessibility of native forests and overnight hikes, faster downhill speeds with more than 55km of mountain biking trails, enhanced privacy settings of luxury retreats, tastier megabytes at the region’s brew bars and dining scene, and a complete refresh of the user experience around Palmy city.

Adds Shearman: “Research tells us there’s still a lot of Kiwis who don’t know what’s on offer here or haven’t been before. So, we’ve made this approach a bit quirky to grab people’s attention. We have some pretty awesome experiences and lots of new additions that consistently exceed the expectations of our visitors. We’ve undergone a pretty serious upgrade and we cannot wait to share this with our neighbours across Aotearoa.”

Client: Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA)
CEO: Jerry Shearman
Destination Development Project Manager: Janet Reynolds
Marketing Senior: Rebecca Day
Visitor Sector Marketing: Kate Lankshear

Client: Palmerston North City Council
Marketing Manager: Jessica Ballinger

Creative Agency: Yarn
Managing Partner: Heath Davy
Creative Partners: Rich Robson & Matt Sellars
Creatives: Bayleigh Way, Alyssa Yeoman, Sam Isaacs, Luke Roxburgh, Robyn Ramsay
Designer: Caroline Wilke

Production Company: Reel Factory
Director: James Anderson
Executive Producer: Dan Watkins
Producer: Pippa Keiller
DOP: Chris Watkins
Production Manager: Raluca Cozariuc
1st AC: Bradley Coleman
2nd AC: Taiga Wakino
Sound Recordist: Danny Watts
Grade/Online: Marc McCarthy
Offline Editor: Richard Parker

Sound: Radiate Sound

Media: NZME & Maverick Digital