Colenso BBDO Goes Strong for Anchor New Zealand Campaign

Fonterra has introduced a new global creative platform for its biggest brand, Anchor, created by a number of regional BBDO agencies led by Colenso BBDO.

“Our new global platform centres on the thought that “Goodness Feeds Greatness”, but allows each country, including Sri Lanka, China, Australia, Chile and Malaysia,the flexibility to create their own interpretations and relevant articulations for their market”, explains Rachel Morgan, Colenso BBDO International Group Business Director.

This week, Anchor New Zealand launches their new ‘GO STRONG’ campaign developed by Colenso.

The campaign features real New Zealanders and their ‘go strong’ stories. A powerful 60-second film shows glimpses of these stories in a way that feels almost like a movie trailer. Shorter length films then feature individuals using their physical and inner strength in taking on a diverse range of life challenges. The Anchor product is cleverly interwoven as abstract macro shots that add to the adrenalin pumping nature of the stories. Each film invites consumers to findout more of the background behind the stories online.

Fonterra Brands NZ (FBNZ) Marketing Director, ClareMorgan, says that Anchor is all about giving people the confidence and nutritional building blocks to grow into strong, confident, healthy beings, able to do whatever they want and take on any challenge.

“In other words we want to show how Anchor is helping Kiwis believe in themselves and ‘Go Strong’. You could say this is part of our DNA as Anchor has been strengthening New Zealanders from the inside out since 1886,” she explained.

Steve Cochran, ECD of Colenso BBDO said, “This campaign is designed to get people to not only think ‘Go Strong’ but to feel it. We found an amazing cast of New Zealanders willing to share their stories of strength. Not only has this enabled us to capture some uniquely honest and genuine stories, but also to show the diversity of what it is to be a New Zealander today.”

Some of the cast of real kiwis includes an international stunt woman, a courageous refugee expressing his true self as a drag queen, a champion trampolining duo, an 80 year-old hip hop dancer, and a three year-old attempting to master the monkey bars.

The hero film was even voiced by Jack, a waka skipper and navigator, who you’ll see in the opening scene of the ad.

The campaign deliberately walks a line to provoke conversation and maybe even controversy, something Anchor was famous for in the late eighties with their‘Anchor Family’ campaign that featured an unconventionally dysfunctional advertising family.

Commenting on New Zealand’s new campaign Fonterra Director, Global Consumer Brands, Andy Dasgupta said “The team at FBNZ have created a world class consumer engagement strategy – one that I am confident will not just step change Anchor in the minds of New Zealand consumers, but also make the global marketing world recognise Fonterra as a force to reckon with.”

Lisa Divett, Fonterra’s lead planner at Colenso BBDO, adds, “Not since the Anchor family have kiwis heard from the Anchor Masterbrand. It’s one of our country’s most iconic and important brands. And with a brave client willing to step out of the dairy category norms, we think this work will go a long way to reclaiming that status.”

Kiku Ohe of Exit Films beautifully directed the films with the sound and music created by Mahuia of Franklin Rd and The Coopers.

They debut online, on television and in cinemas nationwide.