Advertiser: TOURISM NEW ZEALAND
Agency: TBWA\DIGITAL ARTS NETWORK, WHYBIN\TBWA AUCKLAND
Category: Travel, Entertainment & Leisure
Advertising campaign: 100% MIDDLE-EARTH, 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND
Art Director: Andy Blood (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Executive Creative Director: Andy Blood (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland / Whybin\TBWA Sydney)
Production Company: (Curious)
Copywriter: Andy Blood (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Account Management: Julia McKee (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Planner: Julie MacIver (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Director: Darryl Ward (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Copywriter: Lucy Morgan (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Executive Creative Director: Dave Bowman (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland / Whybin\TBWA Sydney)
Executive Creative Director: Matty Burton (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland / Whybin\TBWA Sydney)
Strategist: Hristos Varouhas (Whybin\TBWA Sydney)
Developer: Patrick Li (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Digital Creative Director: Ross Howard (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Account Management: Lynlee Smith (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Account Director: Mandy Eckford (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Creative Director: Mark Zeman (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Executive Producer: Matt Noonan (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Group Head: Natasja Barclay (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Production Specialist: Nigel McHardy (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Account Director: Stephanie Creasey (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Producer: Andy Mauger (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Art Director: Cece Chu (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Art Director: Craig Brooks (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Production Specialist: Andrew Zen (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Designer: Chris Lewis (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Creative Director: Craig Farndale (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Designer: Jonathon Mead (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Project Manager: Louise Leitch (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Copywriter: Ryan Price (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Developer: Sam Kwan (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Copywriter: Tammy Keegan (Whybin\TBWA\DAN Auckland)
Outcome
Sir Peter shared our film with over 650,000 fans. In 3 months, we had close to a million views online. Visits to newzealand.com using campaign related key-words is up 265%. A 16% increase (year on year) of global traffic to newzealand.com. In the first 48 hours of the ‘virtual book’ going live it received 130,000 page views, with an average of 14 book page views per visit. Rich-media film performed above industry standards for ‘interaction’. The Weather Forecast in Elvish was reported by the BBC and the Daily Mail. Thousands got their passports stamped, and shared with millions.
Execution
If you’re a fan of Tolkien, then one place is synonymous with Middle-earth, and that is New Zealand. New Zealand is Middle-earth on Earth. Where Gandalf strides, Hobbit’s walk, and Gollum creeps. Where fantasy and reality are one and the same thing. Where the landscapes and adventures are as amazing as those in the films.
Client Brief Or Objective
New Zealand is a small country on the far side of the world. With a tiny population, and a budget to match, we’ve got a big task on our hands letting everyone know exactly where we are, and what you can do here, and in doing so, making us a must-visit destination. And in 2012 Tourism New Zealand got a once in a lifetime opportunity to catapult New Zealand into the spotlight thanks to the making of Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Our campaign was created in partnership with Sir Peter’s Wingnut Films and Warner Brothers.
Implementation
‘100% Middle-earth=100% Pure New Zealand’ was born. All our campaign activity needed to live and propagate online, and drive global traffic to our gateway portal newzealand.com, and/or to our travel partners. Our campaign began with an epic online film, then encompassed rich media, paid display, earned media, PR and editorial activity such as the nation’s weather forecast broadcast entirely in Elvish, exclusive online content, a ‘Journey to Middle-earth’ book, a even a Dept of Internal affairs sanctioned ‘Welcome to Middle earth’ passport stamp. The campaign was seeded in 47 countries worldwide.