Y&R NZ's new campaign for Arnott's sees an
unlikely pairing of two renowned Kiwis - Zoë Bell and Steve Hansen - in
an apocalypse themed, integrated campaign.
Says
Josh Moore, CEO and CCO, Y&R NZ: "The client came to us interested
in seeing how we could leverage one of New Zealand's most established
sporting personalities. Instead of presenting something 'black', we
decided to create something a little more unexpected and utilise a less
predictable name. Because if there was an apocalypse caused by a lack of
biscuits, wouldn't it logically be Steve Hansen who saves the day?"
VIEW THE FILM
The campaign has launched with two sixty-second trailers, produced by
Curious Films, that offered two theories as to how the apocalypse may
have started, with Steve Hansen cautioning New Zealanders to "never,
ever lose their biscuit". Turns out Arnott's biscuits, including Tim
Tam, Cruskits, Farmbake, and Shapes, are the one thing holding the
fabric of society together. Who knew?
Says Nik Scotcher,
marketing director for Arnott's ANZ: "We had this thought that biscuits
are a small but important part of our life in New Zealand, and that they
might be more conspicuous by their absence than their presence. We
wanted to do something uniquely Kiwi, something irreverent and fun. It
was every bit of that."
Following the trailers, everyday New
Zealanders were invited to audition to star in the culmination of the
campaign - a six-minute short film, 'Apocalypse Steve Hansen - Don't
lose your biscuit'. After receiving hundreds of auditions, 9 lucky Kiwis
were cast in various unorthodox roles. The short film, which premiers
today, is Hansen's acting debut, as well as Kiwi stuntwoman, actor and
producer Zoë Bell's first foray into directing. Hansen and Bell are
helped along the way by Julian Savea, Ma'a Nonu, Victor Vito and Israel
Dagg.
Bell returned to New Zealand from the US to shoot the
film, where she has worked as a stuntwoman and actress in notable films
such as Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill', 'Death Proof' and 'The Hateful
Eight'. For Bell, directing the head coach of our national rugby team
was a challenging and exciting experience.
Says Bell: "Steve was
fantastic to work with, and took direction like a pro. Working with
someone who's a professional coach was always going to be an interesting
challenge, but Steve was keen to learn and make the most of the part. I
think Kiwis will be blown away seeing him in this way."
Apocalypse
Steve Hansen - Don't Lose Your Biscuit is obviously a departure from
what Hansen is most renowned for, however he relished the challenge.
Says
Hansen: "I thought it would be fun and totally different, outside my
comfort zone. It was an opportunity to be coached by someone else and
learn coaching techniques to take into my own arena.
"It was a
total role reversal, I was being coached on how to speak, act, and play a
role. I found it invigorating and energising because it was a totally
different environment."