The Work 2020 Contenders: Special Group

With Cannes Lions and LIA postponed until 2021, Campaign Brief is still out to recognise and showcase the great work that is being produced in the region. So we are introducing The Work 2020 Contenders.

Tourism New Zealand: Good Morning World
Special Group
For decades, TNZ with it’s iconic ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ platform has used New Zealand’s natural beauty to market the country to tourists globally. But as other countries also began promoting themselves in this same way, NZ lost some of its uniqueness. So Special Group (AUS &NZ) developed a strategy to evolve the brand platform and showcase beautiful landscapes through the uniquely warm, generous and welcoming people who live there – evolving the ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ platform to ‘100% Pure New Zealand Welcome’. As the first country to see the sunrise each day, they gave New Zealanders the official role of greeting the world every single morning for a year. A gesture that demonstrated the warmth of the people whilst showcasing 365 different landscapes, activities and destinations. In Australia, the campaign saw a +26% awareness uplift and 3-year consideration targets were met after just 6 months. It has since become Tourism New Zealand’s most successful ever campaign.

Carlton Dry: It’s The Most Wonderful Time For a Beer
Special Group
Instead of creating an ad for Christmas, Special Group created a Christmas carol with a twist. Taking Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of The Year”, they wrote and composed a new seasonal song for beer brand Carlton Dry – aptly titled “It’s The Most Wonderful Time For a Beer”. The song was a full-on production, bringing together a live big band, audio engineers, a professional crooner and backup vocalists. Lyrics were written and rewritten to attack the complications that arise at Christmas, which Carlton Dry stands against. To top it off, the full song was aired in 2 minute 30 second long radio spots as well with a Karaoke Video. “It’s A Most Wonderful Time For A Beer” truly became part of the season instead of just being advertising – making it onto over 900 Spotify playlists over the Christmas period.

Listen to the spot:

Uber Eats: Kim and Sharon
Special Group
Without doubt, Sharon Strzelecki and Kim Craig are Australia’s most iconic bogan best-friend duo. So, when Special Group swapped out the world’s most bogan Kim with the world’s most glamorous Kim – Kim Kardashian into the friendship, the whole of Australia stopped and took notice. This was more than advertising; this was a comedic cultural clash of epic proportions. Within 24 hours the campaign was played in full on every single TV station and discussed in detail on every Morning Show. Additionally, networks arranged to feature the actress portraying Sharon (Magda Szubanski) to even give full-segment interviews where Uber Eats received even more airtime and discussion. The campaign made national headlines, trended nationally in social and was re-enacted hundreds of times on Tik Tok. It even inspired drag shows and Halloween costumes.

The entry deadline for Campaign Brief’s The Work 2020 is April 30th. Entries are FREE with only an acceptance fee charged for those that make the cut. See full details and enter here… If your agency would like to showcase your best work in our Contenders series email ricki@campaignbrief.com.