Fathers Day tales

AUCKLAND, Thursday: DDB Group Aotearoa’s digital experience agency Tribal Aotearoa and Johnnie Walker have produced a Fathers Day campaign that allows dads to give their families a gift that will last – a voice recording of their best tale.

Fathers Day is this Sunday (5 May).

Dreamed up by the creatives and technologists at Tribal, the concept is a spin on Johnnie Walker’s slogan, Keep Walking. 

Tribal & DDB ECD Haydn Kerr said: “The centrepiece of the campaign is a voice-enabled Whiskey Case that will preserve your stories, and record new memories, so the next conversation you have with your dad over a glass of whiskey, can live forever.

“The aim is for future generations to hear the recording, so they may know the footsteps they walk in.

This campaign combines something dads are commonly known for – their penchant for a good story”

“The campaign calls on Kiwi dads to record their favourite story or anecdote at a microsite [scroll down for the link], which then generates a link to the recording that can be shared or saved so their family can listen to it forever.

“The best recordings will be placed in Johnnie Walker’s voice distillery and enhanced by audio engineers to make them even richer.

“The best storytellers will then win the whiskey case with their recording built in.”

“Tribal collaborated with the team at Production Partners to produce the whiskey case, and worked alongside Mango Aotearoa and DDB Aotearoa NZ to launch the campaign this week, integrated across digital, social and PR.

“The project demonstrates the potential for brands to utilise the digital world to connect with their customers, in a way that is both new and enduring.

“The Johnnie Walker Voice Edition uses technology to celebrate the special interactions we have with our fathers, many of which are over a bottle of whiskey.”

“This project uses technology to give meaning to a very old tradition. And it feels particularly poignant while the country is in lockdown and many New Zealanders are not able to celebrate Fathers Day together.

“It’s times like these that make digital experiences even more impactful and show how important it is for businesses to consider all the different ways they can connect with customers online, especially when they’re not able to do so face-to-face.

“The Johnnie Walker Voice Edition uses technology to celebrate the really special interactions we have with our fathers, many of which are over a bottle of whiskey, and make sure their stories can be passed on and re-lived for generations to come.”

Johnnie Walker senior brand manager Tim Norman said: “This campaign is an effective way to get Kiwis to celebrate Fathers Day this year, combining something dads are commonly known for – their penchant for a good story – with a favourite Fathers Day gift, Johnnie Walker.

“Our dad’s stories are treasured and passed on long after they’re gone. Now, through this campaign it’s possible to save those stories forever in a special edition Johnnie Walker case, where at the press of a button, you’ll be able to hear his voice and hear his stories.”

The project runs from now until Sunday week (12 September).

• www.JWvoiceedition.com

CREDITS

Client: Johnnie Walker
Senior Brand Manager: Tim Norman

Agency: DDB Group Aotearoa
Executive Creative Director: Gary Steele
Executive Creative Director: Haydn Kerr
Creative Director: Wihan Meerholz
Art Director: Darryl Ng
Copywriter: Kirsty Brewis
Managing Director: James Blair
Senior Account Manager: Katie Shrubb
Digital Producer: William Falloon
TVP Producer: Jacqui Walker
Senior Designer: Musonda Katongo
Producer: Julz Lane

Full Stack Dev: James Whittington
Back End Dev: Eva Lin
Net Lead dev: Chris Evans
3D and motion design: Marcin Sulewski
Motion Design: Natalia Spreys
Developer: Nelson Kung
Head of design: Dean Pomfrett
UX designer: Kelsey Watson
UX Designer: Elliot Oxborough
Audio Engineer: Milon Williams

Comms: Mango Aotearoa
Account Manager: Emma Hopgood
Senior Account Director: Katy Hughes
Group Business Director: Kat Day

Production Partners: Lee Shaw, Olivia Duthie, Paul Dunkley