Challenge

As New Zealand snapped into level four lockdown in 2020, NZ Police need to proactively encourage the population to stay home. But how do you encourage people to make such a radical change to their daily lives without invoking panic?

Solution

To demonstrate the Police’s human side and push a positive and unifying message, we decided to deliver some hard-hitting messages in a way people could easily digest. Instinctively knowing that Kiwis will always find room for humour - even in the most turbulent of times, we rode the ultimate tightrope: balancing comedy and serious messaging.

Partnering with Wellington Paranormal, we developed a 15-part comedic video series to reach New Zealanders with official Covid-19 information through the Police’s Facebook and Instagram channels. The episodes, each around two-minutes, were accessible and fun; engaging and educating people about how to stay safe, but not shying away from sensitive subjects like domestic violence and crime.

Working under lockdown restrictions and producing real-time creative meant a whole new level of flexibility. Adapting to a splinter crew and shooting in our Studio, we were able to produce a new episode on a 24-hour cycle whilst maintaining tight health and safety protocols. This enabled NZ Police to not only speak directly and relevantly to Kiwis with up-to-date information, but also for us to create an agile and progressive process, constantly learning what was and wasn’t working so we could improve and refine.

Impact

Videos in the series were viewed over eight million times and our innovative approach to public information messaging gained global media recognition, including the BBC. But the most satisfying result for us was hearing from frontline staff that the campaign created a language for them. It made the police more approachable, shifted social culture, and bridged a perceived gap between ‘us and them’.

Watch our favourite episodes below, or go to YouTube to watch all episodes.