Think banks are too joyless and boring to reach Gen Z? Move to New Zealand. Westpac NZ and Saatchi & Saatchi NZ have teamed up to launch Fear-Free Credit, a horror-inspired campaign that taps into Gen Z’s fascination with the horror genre – and aligning with the fun of Halloween.

Ironically, the campaign is designed to show young people that credit cards don’t need to be scary. Embracing the dramatic horror genre, Fear-Free Credit spotlights common anxieties – from spiralling debt to haunting impulse buys – and offers clear solutions to help alleviate those worries. Central to the campaign is the House of Credit Card Fears, a pop-up immersive experience where each unsettling room embodies a different credit-card fear. At the end of the journey, visitors step into the Fear-Free Zone, where Westpac’s six steps to responsible credit help transform fear into confidence – empowering them to build a healthy credit score.

The campaign uses Gen Z’s connection with horror to make financial literacy feel more engaging and relevant – and providing practical tools to help young people build credit with confidence.

Westpac NZ chief brand & marketing officer, Sarah Williams, stated, “Insights show young people are significantly more credit card-shy than other generations, often because they lack the confidence to manage debt responsibly or use credit to their advantage. We wanted to address these fears directly and give them the tools to turn credit from a source of worry into an opportunity.”

The House of Credit Card Fears also served as a film set, producing immersive, cross-platform content and offering a personalised experience for each participant.

Lee Sunter, executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, stated, “Fear-Free Credit came from a strong creative idea: reimagining a house of horrors into an immersive financial experience. Each room was designed to let participants physically walk through their credit-related fears. By tracking their heart rates, we identified their biggest anxieties, allowing us to deliver tailored tips and tools in the Westpac Fear-Free Zone. The result was a personalised experience for every individual who chose to face their credit fears.”

The activation, produced, managed, and executed by experiential agency Spur, ran from September 19-21 at 9/11 Durham Lane in Auckland. It was a sold-out weekend that drew a wide range of audiences and high levels of engagement, with photos from the activation shared with each group of participants to enjoy and feature on their own social media.

Spark Foundry NZled media strategy, with pre-activation OOH assets rolled out across key urban areas to raise awareness and drive attendance. In addition, it brought the credit card ‘fears’ to life through Mediaworks radio promotions and tailored content for social and digital, delivering over 7.5 million impressions across Meta, TikTok and YouTube and facilitating a partnership with HOYTS to sponsor their horror genre films from October to December.

Digitas NZ led customer experience, developing a dedicated landing page and revamping the Fee Free Mastercard product page to help 18–29 year-olds navigate credit.

A series of short videos will continue to roll out on social channels, highlighting each ‘fear’ and the creative associated with it from the House of Credit Card Fears.

Credits: 
Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi NZ
CEO: Mark Cochrane
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Cochran
Executive Creative Director: Lee Sunter
Associate Creative Director: Cece Chu
Senior Art Director: Tim Yates
Senior Copywriter: Ryan Price
General Manager: Annabel Rees
Group Business Director: Aaron Hodgson
Business Manager: Jeannie Grace
Strategy Director: Brendan Greenwell
Design Director: Shiv Narandas
Designer: Talia Schofield
Retoucher: Nick Browne
Executive Producer: Jane Mill
Producer: Claudia Duncan
Head of Post Production: Tracy Powell
Senior Editor:Morgan Parish
Client: Westpac NZ
CMO: Sarah Williams
Head of Propositions and Campaigns: Lou Golding
Head of Brand: Nilleema Allerston
Senior Marketing Manager: Allie Buczkowski
Marketing Manager: Georgia Livingstone
Videographer & Photographer: Fraser Clements
Experiential Agency: SPUR
Media Agency: Spark Foundry
Customer Agency: Digitas