THE HANDMAID'S TALE

TitleTHE HANDMAID'S TALE
BrandSKY TV
Product / ServiceNEON
CategoryB03. Use of Print / Outdoor
EntrantDDB NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Idea Creation DDB NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Media Placement OMD NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Production DDB NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND

Credits

Name Company Position
Damon Stapleton DDB Aotearoa/New Zealand Chief Creative Officer
Gary Steele DDB New Zealand/Aotearoa Executive Creative Director
James Conner DDB Aotearoa/New Zealand Creative Director
Christie Cooper DDB Aotearoa/New Zealand Creative Director
Sarsha Drakeford DDB Aotearoa/New Zealand Art Director
Renee Bryant DDB Aotearoa/New Zealand Copywriter
Nathaniel Ong DDB Aotearoa/New Zealand Digital Copywriter
Lauren Day DDB Aotearoa/New Zealand Digital Art Director
Karla Fisher DDB Group Aotearoa New Zealand Lead Business Partner
Kathryn Hollis DDB Group Aotearoa New Zealand Mac Designer
Julz Lane DDB Group New Zealand Print Producer
Rupert Price DDB Group Aotearoa New Zealand Chief Strategy Officer
Aaron Hodgson DDB Group New Zealand Senior Business Director
Alex Mortimer DDB Group New Zealand Account Manager
Katy Holden DDB Group New Zealand Planner
Jenny Appel OMD Business Director
Jenny Appel OMD Business Director
Tyla-Maree Cvitanich OMD Senior Account Manager
Minky Stapleton Minky Stapleton Illustrator
Holly Phillips SKY New Zealand Brand & Marketing Manager

Why is this work relevant for Media?

To create an authentic experience and aesthetic, craft and media were central to the idea. The inspiration for the design was rooted in grassroots propaganda, so street posters were the obvious medium to convey this. But more importantly, to create an authentic before and after experience, real paint and stencils were required to change the messaging. So while the campaign as a whole could live on multiple channels, outdoor was essential to the activation element - while also adding a layer of texture and context to the design.

Background

With the introduction of multiple new streaming platforms in NZ, NEON needed to not only retain their subscribers but attract new customers as well. The Handmaid’s Tale has long been a symbol of feminism overseas, but its New Zealand audience did not see the relevance to the current cultural conversation that was starting in New Zealand around gender equality. It seemed too unreal. So we had to make people see the relevance of The Handmaid’s Tale in their lives.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

The world of The Handmaid’s Tale seems so dystopian, we don’t think that New Zealand could ever slip into a similar state. While New Zealand views itself as a progressive country who has fought for equality in the past, the same can not be said of New Zealand today. Kiwi’s are often shocked when confronted with the reality of our current gender equality policies. In fact, New Zealand’s pay gap is actually increasing, as is domestic violence and women’s unemployment. So when we uncovered the misogynistic views of a select few kiwis - some of whom are lorded as celebrities in New Zealand, we knew the job certainly wasn’t done. We collected tweets, posts, comments and news articles written by New Zealanders that displayed sexist views fit for Gilead. It was unfortunately pretty easy to find.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Currently NEON’s key demographic is older people and males. While The Handmaid’s Tale has a very targeted female following, we needed to open this up to a wider audience. So we created an OOH led campaign to capture the attention of everyone who believes in equality - so basically everyone in New Zealand.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

First we researched quotes from real New Zealanders that could easily be mistaken for the misogynistic dialogue in The Handmaid's Tale. We then took these quotes and incorporated them into our propaganda inspired design to show how easily NZ could be Gilead. Then to get behind the handmaid’s revolution and empower the women of NZ, we stencilled over just one word in the headlines to switch the message from one of oppression to one of hope. These executions featured across New Zealand, both on street posters and high-traffic billboards. We even placed an execution featuring Jacinda Arden across from Parliament.

List the results (30% of vote)

- 5.6 million DTVs for billboards and street furniture - The Handmaid's Tale viewership increased from season 3's premiere. - The Handmaid's Tale was the most watched show in 2 years, beating out Westworld and Game of Thrones.