“To repair our nationwide delight, the answer is clear: herpes.”
That was the pitch made by the charity New Zealand Herpes Basis final October, when it launched a marketing campaign to make the nation the “finest place” to have the an infection.
That marketing campaign has been a roaring success, profitable a high prize at this 12 months’s Cannes Lions awards, which recognise excellence within the inventive business.
The marketing campaign, which aimed to destigmatise herpes by way of a fake tourism commercial video, was awarded the Grand Prix for Good – a class that seeks to focus on work by non-profit organisations and charities.
The video starred Sir Graham Henry, the previous head coach of the nationwide rugby union group.
In it, he touted the previous successes of New Zealand and lamented its diminishing sources of nationwide delight – resembling an “embarrassingly low” sheep-to-human ratio and pies which might be “pushing seven bucks”.
“We want one thing new to be happy with; one thing huge and courageous to place us again on the map,” Mr Henry stated as he scrawled the phrase “HERPES” – in all caps – on a chalk board.
“It is time for New Zealand to develop into one of the best place on this planet to have herpes.”
What adopted was one other old-school video packaged as a “herpes destigmatisation course”, that includes different nationwide icons like former well being ministry chief Sir Ashley Bloomfield {and professional} boxer Mea Motu.
The irreverent humour operating by means of the marketing campaign – which was developed with companies Movement Illness and FINCH – has struck a chord with audiences.
“Neglect doom and gloom, there’s sufficient of that already to go round,” stated David Ohana, communications chief on the United Nations Basis and a jury president at this 12 months’s Cannes Lions.
“Our 2025 awardee took a taboo matter and turned it on its head – exhibiting that with a fantastic technique, an enormous, daring, loopy thought … and humour for days, that something is feasible.”
Round one in three sexually lively adults in New Zealand has the virus that causes genital herpes, although most have delicate or no signs and may lead abnormal lives, in response to the New Zealand Herpes Basis.
“Fashionable media, misinformation, and New Zealanders’ awkwardness speaking about intercourse – has led to very large stigmatisation for these residing regular lives with the virus,” reads a press launch from when the marketing campaign was launched final October.
Alaina Luxmoore, from the New Zealand Herpes Basis, instructed native TV programme Breakfast that tens of millions had seen the marketing campaign, which had “huge cut-through”.
“The marketing campaign was so humorous, I feel that is why it labored,” Luxmore stated.
