In the 1990s and early 2000s New Zealand retailer, The Warehouse, was known for its cartoon kiwi bird mascot. The little bird was retired during a brand refresh in 2005.

TBWA\NZ and The Warehouse are bringing him back. But how to do that for a generation that are too young to know him?

TBWA\NZ has crafted a five-part episodic series that captures Gen Z with entertainment rather than advertising, complete with missing person posters and a hotline that generated more than 100 public tips, and an episodic narrative packed with nostalgia, humour and subtle nods to Kiwi culture.  The Warehouse’s story of its long-lost Kiwi mascot and its return after a mysterious 20-year absence, stretches across YouTube, TikTok and TVNZ+. The campaign began with missing person posters throughout the country. Reported sightings of a confused Kiwi in a hospital gown surfaced everywhere from Te Atatu to Dargaville.

The Kiwi Chronicles, directed by Supernormal, Olivia McClymont, follows as Kiwi awakens from a coma and attempts to navigate a very different New Zealand from the one it remembers, before finally making its way back home to The Warehouse. Along the way, Kiwi encounters a cast of familiar local faces, including Mike McRoberts, Suzanne Paul, Harold the Giraffe, David Correos, Maria Williams, and Mai FM’s Randy Sjafrie, each helping them find its place in modern Aotearoa.

Throughout the series, audiences will discover a range of hidden Easter eggs, from references to the Country Calendar theme and Suzanne Paul’s ‘luminous spheres’, through to a gentle tribute to the much-loved Goodnight Kiwi. The campaign rewards repeat viewing and sparks conversation, while reconnecting New Zealanders with a character many remember fondly.

Reports of Kiwi working as a DJ on The Mai FM Home Run, moonlighting as a security guard at Auckland Art Gallery and taking shifts as a road worker can now officially be confirmed through the series.

Shane Bradnick, TBWA\NZ CCO, statedf, “In a world where brands often use mascots as quick social content generators, we wanted something different. Bringing Kiwi back gave us the opportunity to create an entertainment-first story that people would genuinely want to follow episode by episode, while celebrating the cultural cues, characters and nostalgia that makes New Zealand unique.”

Mish Cockcroft, GM media management, The Warehouse Group, added, “The campaign also marks the first time The Warehouse has used a sequential media-buying approach, with social as the hero channel. By serving each chapter of Kiwi’s story in sequence, we’re able to build intrigue and create a more connected and compelling experience that keeps audiences coming back to see what happens next.”