In our M+AD frenzy to chase down all the NZ winners in Cannes, we missed an unusual one: The Auckland & Wellington arms of NZ-founded global PR firm SweeneyVesty were at the centre – with Saatchi Singapore – of an airline campaign that won a Silver Lion in the PR – Brand Voice category (which includes Strategic Storytelling).
The client was Scoot, a low-cost airline operating in Asia; a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.
A team from four SweeneyVesty offices – Singapore (vice-president Sarah Tan), Wellington (account director Tom Judd), Auckland (general manager Greg Fahey) and New York (chairman Brian Sweeney) developed and executed a worldwide media strategy and engagement programme for the creative work developed by Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore.
The campaign for Scoot involved a tongue-in-cheek series of messages to US budget airline Spirit for their branding, marketing and advertising that appeared almost identical to Scoot’s.
SweeneyVesty’s work achieved over US$40 million in earned media, with the campaign being covered by over 100 regional and international media outlets including CNN, Bloomberg, USA Today, LA Times and The Daily Mail. Scoot experienced a 33% lift in Google searches, and Facebook video views were up 43% from their previous peak.
Scoot ceo Campbell Wilson said: “It was great to work with the SweeneyVesty and Saatchi & Saatchi teams on this unique project. They brought a real can-do attitude and their professional approach, creative thinking and tenacity made a real difference.”
Collaboration was a key element, said Brian Sweeney. “Many of our assignments are global in nature and this means working together as a tight team across different time zones. Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore saw this as a creative PR assignment and fully drew us into their creative process.
And the client, Scoot ceo Campbell Wilson – also a New Zealander – brought a true entrepreneurial spirit to the initiative.”
SweeneyVesty was founded in New Zealand in 1987 and today has offices in Wellington, Auckland, Sydney, Singapore, New York, Columbus (Ohio), London and Berlin. The company is a full service strategic communications consultancy operating across several sectors of the economy from consumer to corporate, government and start-ups.
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