Russian successfully meddles in the New Zealand election in latest campaign for Every Kiwi Vote Count via Special Group New Zealand
New Zealand sees a rise of 24% in overseas enrolments and 50% rise of upload of votes for its 2020 election, after a Russian meddler fronts a campaign for Every Kiwi Vote Counts, brought to life by Special Group and Sweetshop.
Say what you want about Russia and their influencing of other countries’ elections, but you’ve got to admit, those meddlers damn well get results!
So, when nonpartisan initiative Every Kiwi Vote Counts approached Special Group with the task of trying to convince the approximate 1 million Kiwis who live overseas to vote in the 2020 New Zealand election, Special turned to the real professionals. Russians.
Says Tracey Lee, Every Kiwi Vote Counts initiator: “The inertia of overseas non-voters was so great that we really needed something provocative to wake them up. So, it was exciting and blood draining when Special Group came back with Viktor. I knew that this was going to cause some good trouble.”
Directed by Sweetshop’s Damien Shatford, the entertaining and humorous films were the feature of the integrated campaign that incited meddling on a daily basis, over an 18-day enrolment and voting window. Like any good meddler, the Russian, Viktor, took to Facebook and other social platforms to influence. He reached Kiwis through social groups, mobile billboards in Kiwi-populated parts of foreign cities like London, as well as getting his exploits written up in The Guardian UK, Sydney Morning Herald, ABC Australia, even SBS Russian.
As one would expect from the Russians, they got the job done, with a record number of overseas New Zealanders voting in this year’s election.
Says Lisa Fedyszyn, executive creative director, Special Group New Zealand: “The response to the campaign has been amazing. To have a 24% jump in overseas enrolments, a 50% jump in online vote uploads and comments in social saying that it was the first time someone had voted in over 20 years and others voted because of Viktor, was phenomenal. In these times with more and more Kiwis returning to their homeland, having your say is as important as ever, and to see such a response was a great result for New Zealand democracy.”
Campaign: Meddle in the New Zealand Election
Client: Every Kiwi Vote Counts
Founder / Strategic lead: Tracey Lee
Agency: Special Group New Zealand
CEO/CCO: Tony Bradbourne
Managing Partner: Michael Redwood
Executive Design Director: Heath Lowe
Head of Strategy: Rory Gallery
ECD: Lisa Fedyszyn
ECD: Jonathan McMahon
Art Director: Till Dittmers
Copywriter: Jack Gravatt
Social & Brand Strategist: Daisy Conroy-Botica
Account Director: Bonnie Shum
Senior Producer: Sally Lankshear
Senior Producer: Jo Kelly
Graphics: Hamish Kuka
PR: POEM/Matt Holmes
PR: POEM/ Erica Llorico
Poem /Social Media Strategist: Brogan Lipman
Poem/ Social Media Manager: Angus Roberts
Production Company: Sweetshop
Director: Damien Shatford
Executive Producer: Ben Dailey
Executive Producer: Kate Roydhouse
Editor: Luke Haigh
DOP: Adam Luxton
Sound studio: Liquid Studios
Sound design: Craig Matuschka
Music: Pete van der Fluit
Colourist: Dave Gibson
Photographer: Troy Goodall
5 Comments
Should have gone the full Borat on this and made it funny. The idea is good the films are dull.
Whilst a great idea and well-crafted execution, I find it rather preposterous to make claim that the votes increased 24% off the back of a campaign that ran for little more than two weeks with a billboard on a trailer driving around a couple of boroughs in London, along with a handful of articles in the local rags. Quite incredulous to think 251 followers on Instagram and 399 on Facebook can increase voter numbers so much. Perhaps pause for a moment from blowing your trumpets, for the sake of awards, and let’s take a look at some other factors why the overseas voter turnout was higher. Could Covid19 and the current state of world affairs have helped mobilise the people? As we all know that ghastly pandemic has wrecked havoc globally but not back home where we are lucky enough to be one of the few countries that is pretty much back to normal. Kiwi’s stuck overseas have witnessed first hand how countries like Brazil, England and the USA are in utter disarray from C19 due to incompetent self-serving leaders peddling outdated Neoliberal doctrines which have landed them right up the proverbial creek where there is jack-shit trickling down. New Zealand has at the helm a globally famous, and rather outstanding, Prime Minister who has been consistently lauded on the world stage for her leadership qualities both before and during a global pandemic. We are literally the envy of the world right now. And lastly, every person that follows the news is acutely aware of how civil liberties like ‘the right to vote’ can so easily be quashed, ie Donald Trump – hence why early voting over there is skyrocketing. New Zealand witnessed an unprecedented landslide to the left, along with the biggest voter turnout in over a century. The simple reason we saw record numbers both here and abroad, is the majority of New Zealanders support Jacinda Ardern and her mantra of kindness. People are fed up with the nasty old status quo of dog eat dog, so en masse they voted because they’re damn proud to call themselves a ‘kiwi’ at the moment. Dare I say it, more New Zealanders would’ve voted overseas regardless of Viktor, though I’m sure he helped meddle a few over the line.
Completely agree. Also the use of OOH in a locked down city of London isnt the best use of media channel but hey it looks good in front of international landmarks for award videos.
Major fault is the need for the subhead.
Is it okay to create your own client to make an award entry? This is just a self-funded exercise for awards isn’t it?