Wellington creative consultancy Special Ad Service (led by Scott Henderson, who’s ex Clemenger BBDO Wellington) has produced a new domestic tourism campaign showcasing the creative events and vibrant nightlife that will light up the capital this winter.
The centrepiece of the campaign is a TVC/cinema ad shot by Wellington (naturally) film company Flare, a division of Clemenger. The director is Steven Boniface.
The TVC is backed by digital and outdoor visuals around New Zealand, and pitches Wellington as New Zealand’s ‘creative heart’.
The getaway
Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) general manager, venues, marketing & destination development David Perks says creative culture and hearty hospitality make Wellington an exciting getaway for Kiwis.
“As the nights get longer, Wellington gets fired up with the Jazz Festival and Lux Light Festival. Always mouthwatering, Beervana and Visa Wellington On a Plate send Wellington’s chefs and brewers into creative overdrive.”
Perks says that creative spirit is a big part of what makes Wellington special. “People who visit Wellington get energised and inspired,” he reckons. “They can re-ignite their imagination and use it to feed whatever they’re passionate about.”
Earlier this month, Wellington was named New Zealand’s most creative city in a report by Infometrics.
No off-season
SAS’s Scott Henderson says there was no shortage of inspiration for the campaign. “In Wellington, there’s never an off-season,” he says. “And with so much happening this winter, the feeling of a whole city switching on, lighting up and getting ready, captures the crackling energy that every visitor can get a piece of.
“We wanted to convey Wellington’s incredible potential for delivering variety, and inspiration, everywhere you turn.”
Perks says driving domestic winter tourism is essential to the growth of jobs and revenue in Wellington’s visitor economy.
“For several years we’ve leveraged our strong winter events programme to boost winter visitation, supported by tactical marketing. Balancing the natural seasonality of our tourism numbers encourages investment to meet the ever-increasing demand at peak times.
“We’re seeing the benefits of this strategy not just in rising winter visitor numbers, but in new accommodation and attraction projects coming down the pipeline.”
Domestic commercial guest nights in Wellington for the months May to August rose 9% between 2014 and 2016, compared with 5% for New Zealand as a whole. Domestic visitors account for approximately two-thirds of commercial guest nights and visitor spending in Wellington.
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