Description:

The why
State Insurance took a bold step into festival culture by strategically sponsoring Laneway. With Gen Z feeling a widespread sense of meh about insurance, our objective was to make it feel tangible and accessible. Dare we say – cool. Auckland’s Laneway Festival welcomed over 21,000 people, with almost 80% between 18-34 years old. Our presence placed State in the cultural heartland of this demographic. The activation promoted State’s renter-focused insurance and tools like Tally contents calculator to engage and educate festival goers on their level.

We needed to prove insurance could be relevant and valuable to an audience more interested in playlists than policies. We challenged insurance’s dusty reputation by embedding ourselves physically in their world. Solving tangible festival-related pain points proved our value and had synergy with insurance. The spatial activation wasn’t just a branding play; it became a real-world manifestation of insurance – putting things right.

We sought to raise awareness, inspire trust, and generate growth by making State part of youth culture.

The idea
We didn’t want to just speak Gen Z’s language – we wanted to solve their problems. What might turn things sour at a festival? Losing stuff. Phones. Friends. Their cool. And, what does insurance do? It helps people recover from loss. That connection sparked our central concept – Lost & Found.

We designed a vibrant, multi-functional space that met festival-goers' real needs. People could find lost items, check coats, charge phones, chill out, or crucially, find each other. A safe haven in the chaos – a meeting point, a memory-maker, a moment of relief. It was insurance, but as a physical experience.

The design
We reimagined the tired event tent as an immersive, joyful, cloud-like wonderland. Colourful. Functional. Buzzing with energy. Using bold, clashing stripes of pink and orange – colours drawn from State’s illustrative brand – we ensured maximum visibility and stood out across the sea of people. The psychedelic palette signalled fun, friendliness and a wink to the surrealism of festival culture.

Height was strategic. We rose above the crowd, becoming a wayfinding tool for festival goers and go-to meeting point. “Meet at State!” was heard across the music festival. Visual gags created shareable, Instagrammable moments.

The spatial configuration encouraged flow: spin-the-wheel at entry and charging stations situated conveniently by the lounging area. The Lost & Found desk, accessible from outside, created shareable moments with its unique set of visual gags.

What elevates the work
Colour wasn’t just an aesthetic choice. It was the hero. The vibrant stripes made the stand magnetic, energising, and emotionally engaging. It shifted perception. It helped people feel seen. It showed that State gets it – that we’re here for your stuff, but more importantly, we’re here for you.

In a cost-of-living crisis, insurance matters more than ever. By meeting young people on their turf, we helped redefine financial resilience. No longer boring but something that reflected their lives. We turned insurance into a physical experience worth remembering. Colour led the way.