The Pacific - TVNZ
RSVP Gold, Best Overall Creative
Issue 18 | March 2011
Agency
Colenso BBDO
Production Team
Lou Kuegler, Nick Worthington, Celeste Pulman, Kimberley Ragan, Rebecca Johnson-Pond
Other Credits
Tim Aitken, Charlotte Findlay
Background
TVNZ wanted to use the launch of Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Pacific’ to bring younger viewers to TV ONE and create greater preference for the channel.
Idea
To create relevance and excitement, Colenso BBDO brought the reality of the Pacific war to life in a most authentic and emotionally powerful way, by sourcing genuine letters written by soldiers themselves at the time. These were used in direct mail, outdoor and adshels.
To bring the experience of war even closer, a WWII dogfight between two Japanese warplanes and a New Zealand Kittyhawk was restaged in the skies just off the coast of Auckland.
Results
Proving that big ideas drive business results, the campaign helped the show attract 24% of New Zealanders to the first episode, compared to just 1% in the USA and UK. In addition, 2.3 million New Zealanders watched the show at some point and despite being a story set in 1942 it achieved the objective of attracting a younger audience to TV ONE.