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It has been quite the journey for Te Puia since 2020 when closed international borders meant the business engaged directly with Kiwis for the first time in decades. Now it is launching the next phase of that conversation through its ‘A place that changes you’ campaign, with both Te Reo Māori and English versions of its campaign video launching, featuring ads at the start of every Moana 2 Reo Māori cinema screening.
Te Puia general manager sales and marketing Sean Marsh says to release campaign videos in both Te Reo Māori and English at the same time aligns strongly with the organisation’s kaupapa; Toitū te ahurea Māori, leaders in uplifting Māori culture. He says aligning this with the first time a Disney film is translated into an indigenous language to launch in theatres alongside its global release is significant and especially uplifting for tamariki.
“My four tamariki all kōrero Māori and to enable a consumer campaign that not only showcases the beauty and depth of our culture but normalises Te Reo across our community is especially rewarding.
“When our tamariki see and hear themselves on the big screen it is hugely empowering and if we can support that through our media placement, that hopefully encourages more businesses and organisations to support this process.”
The ‘A place that changes you’ campaign by creative agency Augusto seeks to build on the 2021 release, by exploring the reactions manuhiri (visitors) have when experiencing moments such as seeing a pōhiri, a kiwi, a geyser erupting, speaking to a sixth-generation guide or seeing tauira (students) carving.
“As always, it’s been a privilege to partner with Te Puia by helping to show the world how the magic they see there, also has a profound effect on what they feel deep within,” says Augusto Group account director Lauren Smith.
Sean says he often hears manuhiri say they have goosebumps or hair standing on end from the pōhiri and cultural performance – in the video, you will see this moment come to life.
“You’ll also see the pupil of an eye dilate as the geothermal wonders are taken in – we explore what happens at a granular level for people experiencing the natural environment and our culture here at Te Puia.
“What we learned from our market research was that domestic and international audiences seek the same thing. They want to experience a Te Ao Māori journey that shifts them from a position of curiosity and awareness, to understanding more of the culture, connecting elements of our culture to their own lived experience and to finally arrive at a point where they feel as if their experience has changed how they perceive the world they live in.
“Guiding our manuhiri through that journey is fundamentally what we are here to do.
“We are also proud to feature our people. For example, the guide in our campaign Morgan Hurihanganui is a sixth-generation guide here and she is deeply proud to feature and represent her tūpuna, hapu, iwi and to carry on her family legacy of guiding.”
The campaign is launching in cinemas with Moana 2 in Te Reo Māori and English, with a series of 18 videos also launching across digital platforms in the months ahead, with the domestic strategy spanning cinema, out-of-home advertising, broadcaster video on demand (BVOD), online video, and social media.
The previous 2020 campaign helped shift the visitor mix for the business, moving from less than 5 per cent domestic visitors to 20 per cent domestic, with Kiwis loving the experience and learning more than they expected.
