High Five: New Zealand

Over the years, the creatives on the Hell Pizza account have mined the rich vein of material that pours forth from the Devil’s domain. This topical ad carries on that proud tradition with an ad that took swipe at the world’s littlest eco warrior, Greta Thunberg. Just a few days after she took a swipe at New Zealand’s prime minister for 'not doing anything' about global warming, Hell Pizza placed outdoor ads right up in Thunberg's grill in her hometown of Stockholm. Hell’s shoutout made headlines around the world, and I'm sure the case study will show that it resulted in an evil spike in sales here in Aotearoa.

You can’t throw a hypodermic needle without hitting a Covid-19 vaccination ad in New Zealand, but what stood out for me here was the refreshingly simple strategy that hit the spot with an audience that are probably feeling a little jaded by the whole palava.

DDB has added another twist to the traditional telly ad with its new Lotto ad. To solve the icy cliffhanger ending, you have to visit the website and hunt for clues. Perfect for people taking time out from hunting online for Covid conspiracies...

This year, New Zealand Post took the radical decision to remove the strict old rules that have stopped ordinary Kiwis becoming Christmas elves. With no three-foot height limit or mandatory pointy ears, everyone was free to sign up to help deliver Christmas.

And lastly, in a very meta move, Saatchi & Saatchi made an ad suggesting other people make some ads for Paralympics NZ. Love the intent. Really hope it works...but not too well. If everyone starts making ads, we might be out of a job!