Judge's comments:

A beautiful immersive experience with an authentic connection. We loved the “growing together” concept.

Description:

Purpose
We worked with One NZ to transform their employee onboarding programme from a one off event, to become a fully immersive and meaningful experience that unfolds from the first day, to the next 100 days, and more.

Given their recent rebrand, the opportunity was to not only inspire new starters, but reconnect every existing employee to all that One NZ stands for, in ways true to Aotearoa. Arguably, this is business communication at its most important, ensuring everyone within an organisation truly understands, connects with, and contributes to its purpose every day.

The brief? Create the best onboarding programme that anyone in New Zealand has ever experienced. One that is inclusive and inspiring for a diverse range of people, perspectives, cultures, and roles.

The insight? Authentic connection doesn’t happen in one day alone. A more profound journey of discovery is required to cultivate the kind of mindset shift, mutual growth, collective responsibility and shared purpose our client was looking for. We needed to totally revolutionise the programme.

Creative
Our creative idea ‘Growing Together’ draws inspiration from te ngāhere, Aotearoa’s forest ecologies, to communicate the interconnectedness of One NZ’s people and business. Showing how we grow from seeds, to saplings, to a mighty ngāhere together, with all the intricate connections between our different elements. Each touchpoint was designed to encourage individuals to see the critical role they play at One NZ in a new light—and as a whole—for Aotearoa New Zealand.

It was important this was not only clearly and beautifully communicated, but felt and experienced on a deeper level. This led us to design outside of traditional formats, creating a digital-first experience for remote employees and an immersive in-person experience for those in central office hubs. An approach that aligns with One NZ’s purpose of unlocking the magic of technology to create a more awesome Aotearoa. The experience also provided space for staff to engage with One NZ's sustainability strategy and Whārikihia Māori Strategy.

Communication design included;
– ‘Day One’ naming, messaging, and wayfinding.
– Bespoke activity, game creation, and agenda for Day One.
– Programme design to guide the full experience across 100 days.
– Presentation design to support the narrative of One’s expert facilitators.
– Ambient film and bespoke audio to set the scene and headspace.
– Engaging digital environment to facilitate a matching experience for remote employees.

Environmental impact was always considered, with a focus on reducing unnecessary collateral, supporting local businesses, incorporating regenerative activities, and utilising circular or underutilised materials wherever possible (e.g. Sustaina Grow plant kit).

Launch
A successful launch at the internal ‘flip day’ for the One NZ brand saw over 4,300 employees experiencing a condensed version of the programme. It is now being run on a regular basis with both in-person and virtual experiences. This is just the beginning – the programme was designed with a long term perspective, with the ability to evolve, grow, and weave in additional elements year on year.