Small Emergencies, Kiwi Humour, And A Second-Hand Ambulance: Bargain Chemist's Latest Brand Platform

Bargain Chemist has unveiled a fresh brand direction via Yarn Agency, with ‘Saving New Zealanders Every Day’ tapping into the everyday “emergencies” that send Kiwis to their local pharmacy.

The campaign was built from the idea that while hospitals are for serious health emergencies, Bargain Chemist can help with life’s smaller, everyday emergencies – “like spotting your first grey hair, or hearing that final pffft from your cologne bottle,” Matt Sellars, executive creative director at Yarn told LBB.

“And as a proudly NZ-owned brand, we wanted the tone to feel local – bringing in a dose of Kiwi humour to help Bargain Chemist stand out in a healthcare space that can often feel a bit... sterile.”

The campaign sees a comedic duo racing around the streets in a branded ambulance, guiding customers to Bargain Chemist.

A week after presenting the idea during the pitch process, “not only did we find out we’d won, but Bargain Chemist’s founder and CEO, Peter Shenoda, had already jumped online and bought an actual ambulance,” Matt said. 

“This was an epic show of commitment to the new brand platform, which kickstarted the execution of the campaign straight away.”

Having “always imagined an entertaining duo behind the wheel,” casting the ambulance-driving pair was down to production partners at Reel Factory and director James Anderson. “We were stoked to land on our cast,” Matt added, “who James fittingly named Alan and Ellie, aka A&E.”

Production had “a couple of curveballs to keep things interesting,” with Matt adding “credit where it’s due to the team at Reel Factory for their expert craft and attention to detail throughout the shoot.” In particular, he pointed to two hurdles for the team to overcome. 

“First up: Auckland’s weather. Trying to squeeze multiple scenes into one day is tough enough without the skies swinging from sunshine to downpours. But we stuck it out and found our windows. And in hindsight, it actually gave each location a bit more visual variety.

“The second challenge was the ambulance itself – a second-hand buy that, ironically, needed saving when it broke down during our final drone shots.”

Looking ahead, Yarn and Bargain Chemist have set their sights on the long-term when it comes to the new brand platform, with ‘Saving New Zealanders Every Day’ being placed to “carry the brand forward over the next few years.”

“It’s simple, but strategically gives us room to build brand love while staying true to their retail roots,” said Matt.

“Plenty of elements from this launch were created with the long game in mind – from the refreshed brand identity, to our lead characters who’ll pop up in-store and across digital and social, plus sonic branding inspired by the ambulance siren.

“From pitch to launch, it’s been a rewarding ride with Anna [van der Loo, Bargain Chemist head of marketing], Megan [Gillett, Bargain Chemist marketing executive], Peter [Shenoda, Bargain Chemist CEO], Atif [Malkonyan, director] and the wider team, all just as passionate as we are about shaping a standout Kiwi brand.”