An algorithm telling you what to watch? F#&K the Algorithm. Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, together with Publicis Production ANZ, are challenging the power of algorithms in a campaign for the 2026 Oscar-qualifying Doc Edge Festival, New Zealand’s international documentary film festival.  

F#&K the Algorithm invites people to swap screen time for screen time. Swapping “to see the stories too real for social”.  The campaign is built around The Algo-rithm F#&ker, that invites people to share their weekly screen time and unlock festival discounts based on the hours they’ve lost to scrolling, turning algorithm time into documentary time.

Have a go at swapping screen time for stories of substance here.

Dan Shanan, co-founder & executive director at Doc Edge Festival, stated, “Doc Edge has spent the last 21 years telling bold, inspiring and impactful stories, and amplifying voices that matter. This year’s campaign with Saatchi & Saatchi really builds on that legacy by challenging the algorithms that increasingly decide which stories we see. With sold-out sessions and our strongest opening weekend yet, it’s clear audiences are responding and actively seeking out the stories that cut through their algorithms.”

Lee Sunter, executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, added, “F#&K the Algorithm doesn’t just call out the problem, it gives people a way to fight back. The Algo-rithm F#&ker transforms passive consumption into active participation, making the campaign something people do, not just see. This campaign wouldn’t exist without Alex and Dan at Doc Edge, whose belief in a festival that agitates and challenges perceptions made it possible. And our friends at Publicis Production, who crafted every detail, right down to every perfectly placed swear word.”

The campaign spans digital, social, radio, outdoor and cinema, pairing pixelated scenes from festival documentaries with the coded ‘algospeak’ people have adopted to avoid online censorship.

Running from 24 June to 10 August, the 2026 Doc Edge Festival features 75 films, 40 visiting filmmakers and a programme exploring some of the world’s most pressing issues; from the realities of the Gaza conflict and the truth about sex work to the impact of AI on young lives. World Press Photo will also return as part of the festival, with an exhibition in partnership with Doc Edge.

Credits
Client: Doc Edge
Co-Foundes & Directors: Alex Lee & Dan Shanan
In-House Designer: Jarrod Dobell
Impact and Operations Lead: Christian Jensen
Web & Digital Marketing Lead: John Lau

Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi NZ
Acting Chief Executive Officer: Toby Aldred
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Cochran
Group Executive Creative Director: Lee Sunter
Head of Growth and Operations: Sarah Ansley Jones
Senior Business Director: Camille Coltman
Senior Creatives: Connyr Atiga and Cain Duff
Creative: Milla Mihaljevich
Design Director: Shiv Narandas
Digital Design: Matt Wood
Designer: Talia Schofield
Business Managers: Jeannie Grace and Sabrina Juan
Strategy Director: Terri O’Connell
Strategy Executive: Kiera Bossons Sartain

Production: Saatchi Studios
Executive Producer: Jane Mill
Producer: Jess Drysdale
Junior Producer: Grace Roddick
Editor: Tracy Powell 

Sound: Franklin Road
Production: Publicis Production ANZ
Managing Director:Neil Duncan
Creative Technology Director: Kiki Lauder
Executive Producer: Nicole Marshall
Producer: Nara Lea
Developer: Keong Seet
PR: Herd MSL