Australia’s number one RTD, Hard Rated, landed in New Zealand earlier this year, launching with a cheeky campaign that leant into the trans-Tasman brain drain, which, according to the brand, may have simply been caused by Australians hogging the best RTD.

Well now Hard Rated has decided to make amends for luring Kiwi mates away, by bringing one home in a new campaign by Droga5 ANZ. A nationwide callout in New Zealand asked people to ‘dob in a friend’ across the ditch who needed convincing to come back. The entries rolled in, from heartfelt, “Mum’s sick of putting the cat on FaceTime”, to downright brutal, “He supports the Wallabies now”.

Once Hard Rated found its Kiwi, Grayson, the brand went all-in to get him home. A helicopter banner flew over Sydney Harbour and Bondi Beach calling on him to return home, and this also appeared on the front page of The New Zealand Herald. 

From there, human and bike billboards stalked him through his Sydney suburb with messages from friends and family. Radio listeners left voicemails giving him funny reasons for why he should come back, while social followed the trans-Tasman chase in real time. It all ended with a hero’s welcome in Aotearoa, complete with airport signage celebrating his return.

With humour, audacious stunts, and plenty of trans-Tasman banter, the activation and social media campaign didn’t just cement Hard Rated’s irreverent personality, it achieved the goal of making Australia’s number one RTD New Zealand’s number one too*.

Tatyana Dickson, general manager marketing, Hard Rated parent, Asahi Beverages NZ, stated, “New Zealanders have long crossed the ditch for better pay or warmer weather, or so we thought. Hard Rated’s launch campaign flipped that idea, hinting that maybe the real reason was to get a taste of Australia’s No.1 RTD. Now that Hard Rated is available nationwide in New Zealand, we’re solving that problem once and for all. With this next, outlandish phase, Hard Rated invites everyone to enjoy what might just be the best thing to ever come out of Australia, right here at home.”

Christie Cooper & James Conner, executive creative directors, Droga5 ANZ, added, “Hard Rated is already a powerhouse in Australia, and we wanted to bring that same energy to New Zealand, with a little cheek and a lot of flavour. This next act in our campaign captures the trans-Tasman rivalry perfectly, proving that sometimes the best imports are worth bringing home.”

Credits: 
Client: Asahi Beverages NZ
GM Marketing: Tatyana Dickson
Senior Marketing Lead: Jonathan Rea
Senior Brand Manager: Monique O’Neil
Connections Planner: Emily Cryer
Social Media Specialist: Izaak Kirkbeck

Creative Agency: Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song
Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton
Executive Creative Directors: Christie Cooper & James Conner
Copywriter: Casey Clarke
Art Director: Zac Nairn
Group Business Director: James Allan
Senior Business Director: Danny Murphy
GM & Executive Producer: Rosie Grayson
Integrated Producer: Callum Crabb
Design Lead: Lucinda Fortescue-Hansen
Intermediate Graphic Designer: Vivian Heng
Senior Finished Artist: Lisa Stowers

Production Company: Eden Studios
Helicopter Banner: Airvision Aviaion
 
Media Partners: Spark Foundry NZ & Hearts and Science