Dentsu builds full-scale site for small-scale builders in Woolworths Bricks Home activation
From broadcast scale to a fully immersive building site experience, dentsu Aotearoa helped transform Woolworths Bricks Home from a collectibles campaign into a real-world play moment for Kiwi families.
Across a sold-out weekend, families arrived at what looked like a large construction project in Auckland’s Victoria Park. Fences surrounded the perimeter with signage you might expect at a building site, while a historic building stood completely wrapped in construction wrap.
Inside, however, the site revealed something entirely different.
Kids donned hard hats and iconic tradie vests before stepping into what appeared to be a fully operational building site, except instead of timber and tools, the space was full of thousands of Bricks and complementary Woolworths Bricks Home sets ready for play.
The construction required a substantial scaffolding rig with 6 tonnes of ballast weights, ply walls, drop cloths and detailed site styling to deliver an environment that felt convincingly real. Resident tradie Chelsea Roper (@shebuildsbro), and designer Max were on hand throughout the weekend to lend a hand and a little inspiration. Out the back, a tuck truck awaited, though with an average dwell time of 40 minutes, most young builders were clearly in no rush for smoko.
Says Alex Barlow, Head of Activations at dentsu Aotearoa: “Collectibles usually live in-store or on-pack. We wanted Bricks to live in culture — something kids and parents could step into, not just collect. We saw families travel, plan and queue for the opportunity to experience the activation. The building site idea really did let us turn imagination into a real, playable world which drove engagement with the brand.”
The activation drew praise from parents as ‘marketing genius’ and attracted more than 40 influencers, generating earned content across social platforms.
The building site experience formed a key experience layer of a broader integrated campaign designed to inspire participation at scale and enable play in the real world. A launch layer across TV, BVOD and YouTube established national reach, while proximity OOH, radio partnerships, social and playful real-world media moments — including a One Roof partnership — extended the Bricks universe into everyday life.
Says Abel Banda, Senior Communications Planning Director at dentsu Aotearoa: “We didn’t want media to just deliver the message, we wanted it to behave like the idea. Every touchpoint was designed to spark play, build momentum, and help facilitate participation.”
Says Kate Littlejohn, Marketing Manager at Woolworths: “This campaign perfectly captured the spirit of Woolworths Bricks Home — creativity, play and family connection. From the way the idea showed up in media through to the immersive Building Site experience, every touchpoint invited families to participate in the world of Bricks.”
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