How BNZ Teamed Up with Russell Westbrook to Prove It’s ‘Invested in Basketball’
BNZ’s latest campaign, featuring NBA star Russell Westbrook, showcases the bank’s investment in New Zealand basketball, from grassroots programmes to elite teams, to support the sport’s growth and positive community impact.
The integrated campaign highlights BNZ’s long-term commitment to creating opportunities for young athletes and fostering leadership through basketball.
Speaking to LBB’s Tom Loudon, Amy Phillips, general manager of marketing and design at BNZ, and Hadleigh Sinclair, group creative director at Colenso BBDO, break down the campaign.
The pair discuss the inspiration behind the ‘Invested in Basketball’ campaign, its focus on basketball’s core values, and how BNZ balances Westbrook’s global appeal with supporting local New Zealand talent.
LBB> How did the collaboration with Russell Westbrook come about, and why was he the ideal fit for this campaign?
Hadleigh> Russ is well-known by the NZ basketball community through his playing time at OKC with NZ NBA player Steven Adams.
So that was a big tick, but many people have played with and against Steven. Russ got the idea. The unconventional approach of not just getting someone to endorse NZ basketball. He saw the funny side of him playing the vulnerable character, a 9x NBA All-Star terrified of New Zealand kids. His values are added to all of that.
His ‘Why not’? The foundation is doing amazing things in the US, using the power of basketball to make a difference in young people’s lives.
LBB> The campaign highlights the "fearsome reputation" of New Zealand ballers. What inspired this specific creative angle?
Hadleigh> Currently, there’s only one New Zealander in the NBA. Steven Adams has a significant impact on the game both at home and internationally. He’s tough. He’s strong. He’s loved. He’s the world’s single reference point for NZ basketballers. His reputation is our reputation. So we leaned into it. If Steven’s come out of NZ already, and now a bank, the Bank of New Zealand, is investing in the sport, the world’s on notice because there are more big Kiwis coming to terrorise the highest level of the game.
LBB> BNZ is investing in basketball from grassroots to elite levels. How did you ensure the campaign effectively communicated this broad commitment?
Amy> ‘Invested in Basketball’ is a commitment to the game from BNZ– The Russell spot is part of a larger body of work with all initiatives connected by the 'Invested in Basketball' unifying thought. Russell’s role was simply to connect BNZ with our community programs for NZ kids.
LBB> Can you explain the decision to align BNZ’s brand message with basketball’s core values, such as teamwork and resilience?
Amy> Sport is part of the national psyche in New Zealand. Basketball is our fastest-growing sport but was previously one of the most underfunded. We know basketball has enormous power beyond the game. It teaches confidence, leadership, teamwork and resilience that we can all use in life.
It’s more than a brand-badging exercise for us. We knew that through our involvement in basketball and working with our partners, we could help create a generation of more confident and resilient kids.
LBB> The hero spot with Westbrook expresses mock displeasure. Why did you choose a humorous approach to launch this severe investment in New Zealand basketball?
Hadleigh> Memorability and cut-through. We’re used to seeing sports stars telling us what we should think or buy, not trying to convince a nation to stick to making movies in a desperate act of self-preservation.
LBB> How did you balance featuring a global star like Russell Westbrook while keeping the focus on New Zealand talent?
Hadleigh> In one of the final scenes of the movie Point Break, Johnny Utah catches Bohdi staring out at Bell’s Beach during the 50-year storm. Swayze (RIP) says to Reeves, “One wave… Cliffs on both sides, I won't paddle to New Zealand!”
That’s a proud moment right there for any New Zealander. We’re a little country at the bottom of the earth. And when people from big countries on the other side of the world talk about us, we pay attention. NZ talent is very much the focus of the campaign. We just got a hugely talented man to tell everyone about it.
LBB> Basketball is New Zealand’s fastest-growing youth sport. How does this campaign aim to connect with that demographic and inspire future generations of players?
Hadleigh> It’s crazy to see its growth. When I was growing up, kids would walk down the road passing rugby balls or play forceback in the park until after dark. Now, kids have basketballs in their hands or loaded into their backpacks as they race on their bikes to local courts. The campaign shows that NZ talent is on the world’s radar. That is what they do here, and it can take them anywhere. So keep at it. It used to be that rugby was seen as the only pathway to international sporting fame for young New Zealand kids. Everyone wanted to be an All-Black. That’s all changed.
LBB> What metrics or feedback are you using to measure the campaign's success in driving participation and engagement with basketball?
Hadleigh> As mentioned, there’s much more than just the Russell spot, so the impact will be cumulative. The sponsoring of the elite men’s team, the BNZ Breakers, the support of The Northern Kahu, who became last week the world’s first and only female-owned and managed professional sporting team, the commitment to get 80,000 young kids through BNZ’s in-school basketball program, KiwiHoops, all will help drive participation and engagement with the game.
LBB> This campaign spans multiple channels, from TV and cinema to digital and OOH. How did you approach the challenge of ensuring consistency across such diverse formats?
Hadleigh> It’s about creating a universe with the Russ spot at the centre. We’ve then used the different mediums to reference why he might be scared.
Huge format OOH showing off NZ talent at various levels of the game, the scale that basketball in New Zealand has never seen before. It was a social campaign that saw NZ kids apologising to Russ as they showed off their dunks. All were giving weight to his concern and letting NZ know how the Bank of New Zealand’s investment in basketball is helping to take the game to the next level.
