Finding the best NZ stories, around the world.

Understanding that social media is one of the top five influences on traveller decisions, Tourism New Zealand were looking to harness its power to drive strong advocacy with travellers and New Zealanders to increase engagement across their channels.

They needed to source a series of authentic stories about travellers who had visited New Zealand and had an understanding of what it’s like to arrive a stranger and leave as part of the whānau (/ˈfɑːnaʊ/) which means ‘extended family’ in Māori.

Through Genero, Tourism New Zealand were able to not only source these stories, but have them produced by professional filmmakers from around the world. Each video showcases the welcoming nature and breathtaking beauty of New Zealand, with high quality production values.

Using video enabled the brand to share first-hand, emotive stories that resonated with the brand’s audience and generated greater organic reach when compared to still image ads from the same campaign.

They’ve now refreshed and delivered the campaign three times, sourcing fresh stories each time, and it continues to form an integral part of their overall marketing strategy.

Tourism New Zealand could also never have imagined the reaction this campaign would spark, and the influence it would in turn have on how they utilise real people to tell their story. The learnings from these campaigns helped inform a recent brand transition, which ensures authenticity and genuine stories are at the heart of the Tourism New Zealand brand.