This Content Is Only For Subscribers
LOVE Taupō has unveiled a playful new campaign to coincide with Ikea’s arrival in New Zealand, positioning Taupō as “New Zealand’s most Swedish town”. The initiative was developed with Christchurch-based agency Make following the opening of Ikea’s Sylvia Park store in Auckland, which attracted strong nationwide attention.
Destination Great Lake Taupō general manager Patrick Dault says the idea began as a tongue-in-cheek concept before evolving into a creative exploration of similarities between Swedish identity and Taupō’s nature-based experiences.
“What started out as an idea to be a bit tongue-in-cheek really got us thinking. The more we delved into brand Sweden, the more we saw some alignment with the incredible array of nature-based activities Taupō has to offer. It felt fair to say that Taupō is most likely New Zealand’s most Swedish town.”
Patrick says Taupō’s natural environment lends itself to the themes highlighted in the campaign, which features a “top ten” list encouraging visitors to explore lovetaupo.com for deeper inspiration:
- Nature-first mindset
- Crystal-clear water culture
- Outdoor lifestyle
- Long [est] days – an endless summer
- Simple, design-minded living
- Sustainability at the core
- Safe, community-centred culture
- Slow-paced wellbeing
- Cool-climate creativity
- Winter-wonderland contrast
“With the Taupō experience and environment firmly rooted in the natural world, it felt like a good fit,” Patrick says. “The fact that thousands of people descended on Ikea’s Sylvia Park location in the lead-up to Christmas meant people had more time in traffic to reflect on where they might like to go next. We worked with our agency Make to offer them a fun, visual reflection for considering Taupō for their next getaway.”
As part of the campaign, Make secured strategically placed billboards at the entrance to Sylvia Park. Make client and strategy lead Natalie Crowe says the imagery and messaging aim to offer a light-hearted break for commuters.
“The uniquely Taupō imagery and Ikea-inspired messaging has been used to offer a playful antidote to sitting in traffic and aims to both entertain and inspire. There is a witty play on the Ikea offering, which is renowned for its high quality, high design and functionality, but also for its flat-pack takeout presentation.”
Patrick says the campaign taps naturally into the excitement created by Ikea’s opening.
“Tapping into this playful mindset with a Taupō message felt natural and fun, it was fitting for the occasion and connected with the Kiwi psyche.”
