Campaign Brief Creative Circle: What’s hot in February?
Each month, Campaign Brief invites top creatives from across Aotearoa to spotlight one standout piece of local work created outside their own agency – a space for celebrating the fresh thinking, craft and homegrown creativity that continues to raise the bar across the industry.
This month features picks by DDB Aotearoa’s Gary Steele, Droga5 Aotearoa’s Liz Richards, RUN’s Raymond Otene McKay and YS.’s Julie Spedding.
Liz Richards, Droga5 Aotearoa
A rare Christmas campaign that doesn’t pretend everyone has endless money or unlimited emotional capacity. The street posters are classic PAK’nSAVE. You see them, you get them, you laugh. In a season where many people feel the pressure, it acknowledges cost and stress, in a refreshingly dumb-smart way. Wrap a sausage, throw it under the tree, and call it a day.
Client: PAK’nSAVE; Agency: FCB Aotearoa (now McCann NZ); Media Agency: PHD
Raymond Otene McKay, RUN
I’m not really one for ads that star furry friends but an ad I watched recently for Haier and their partnership with the Australian open somehow captured my attention and had me giggling, yes giggling.
A beautifully shot sponsorship ad by TBWA New Zealand, created just the right amount of closeups and riveting tennis parlay for it to be actually worth watching. Have a gander and let down your staunchness and let this one work its magic on you. Enjoy!
Client: Haier; Creative Agency: TBWA; Director: Matt Bieler; Production Company: Flying Fish
Julie Spedding, YS.
“Booze Maths” is brilliant – it dodges the usual doom-and-gloom stats and instead goes all in on dark humour and uncomfortably relatable inner monologues. It feels like a playful roast of the warped logic we all convince ourselves of when we’re tipsy. So many sharp, smart creative choices come together to make this campaign genuinely great.
Client: NZTA – Waka Kotahi; Agency: FCB Aotearoa (now McCann NZ); Director: Max Barden; Production Company: Sweetshop
Gary Steele, DDB Aotearoa
I had to share this idea because it escaped ad-land and was spotted out in the wild. There I was with a group of mates, beers in hand, staring at a BBQ. Suddenly someone yells “That’s booze maths!”. This just shows the power of this piece, it’s not just beautifully crafted (shout-out Max Barden), it’s sharp, funny, insightful, and now officially part of real-world language. Mental gymnastics finally has a name.
Client: NZTA – Waka Kotahi; Agency: FCB Aotearoa (now McCann NZ); Director: Max Barden; Production Company: Sweetshop
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