Description:

Rotorua Economic Development needed a unique, creative solution to convey a stronger destination story for the benefit of the people who live, study, invest and work in Rotorua, as well as those wanting to visit.

Knowing that other Regional Tourism Organisations would have marketing campaigns focusing on the scenery and array of experiences available at each location, we needed to do something different to cut through the noise and encourage Kiwis to see Rotorua in a new way.

We know that Rotorua’s unique qualities come from within – from the stories of the people. We wanted to put these people in the centre of our story. We wanted to showcase the culture and rich experiences that make Rotorua unique. We wanted to show the wairua and mana of the people – literally. And we wanted to share these stories with the people of Aotearoa in an authentic and engaging way.

So to champion the stories of Rotorua locals, we decided to visualise their kōrero. We developed sound responsive software technology specifically for this campaign, that created unique visuals of each person’s voice.

The design of these visuals was based on Rotorua’s close links to the ngahere (forest) – referencing tree rings, it’s significance with iwi and hapū – drawing the red from Te Arawa, and it’s unique geothermal activity – inspired by geysers and boiling mud.

The campaign (which is still running) features 13 people sharing their kōrero. These were rolled out across an array of collateral including digital ads, print ads, street posters and billboards using the kōrero-designed graphics, in turn creating a beautiful and memorable campaign while lifting the wairua of the people.