Coromandel creates world’s longest driving lottery via DDB Group Aotearoa

AUCKLAND, Wednesday: DDB Group Aotearoa and Destination Hauraki Coromandel launched the “world’s longest driving lottery” to encourage Kiwis to take the 231km coastal route of State Highway 25 and visit the tourism-reliant region more regularly while the Kōpū-Hikuai SH25A is closed for the foreseeable future.

During the Anzac long weekend – from Friday the 21st until Tuesday the 25th – any vehicle that drove the SH25 Coromandel Loop was in the draw to win a range of epic prizes including three nights at Hahei Beach Resort in a beach front bach, boat trips, snorkel tours and even dozens of Coromandel oysters.

The Lucky Loop game used cameras in secret locations on SH25 from Thames to Waihi, and vehicles photographed at computer-generated random times will receive the corresponding prize.

Following a rough start to the year with visitor numbers down significantly due to adverse weather, Haydn Kerr, Executive Creative Director of Tribal Aotearoa, says the campaign focus was to debunk the perception that the Coromandel wasn’t open and remove any uncertainty about access to the region.

“The campaign focus was to debunk the perception that the Coromandel wasn’t open and remove any uncertainty about access to the region.”

“We wanted to flip the narrative. Everyone knows that the Coromandel has been unlucky, so we created The Lucky Loop. Instead of the roads causing delays and disruptions, we made driving the highway a rewarding experience. And it has proven to be a great way of attracting people to the area and helping local businesses” says Kerr.

Hadley Dryden, General Manager of Destination Hauraki Coromandel, said that the campaign exceeded all expectations and he was blown away by the support given to the destination.

“It’s been fantastic to have DDB Group Aotearoa on board to help encourage visitation by doing something really innovative. Despite the coastal loop taking a tad longer than driving over the hill, travellers were rewarded with fantastic views and a diverse range of homegrown local experiences. As locals know, it’s worth taking your time and stopping off along the way,” says Dryden.

The campaign was well-received by travellers with anecdotal feedback being incredibly positive and many across the region rallying behind the campaign, including Thames-Coromandel Mayor Len Salt, local MPs, and more than 50 local businesses who all actively supported and promoted it to their communities.

The campaign ran across PR, social, digital, outdoor, radio, road signage.  With generous media partners coming on board including PHD, MediaWorks, NZME, JCDecaux, oOh! Media and Lumo, the potential reach was calculated at being more than 10 million. The campaign also achieved significant media coverage including Seven Sharp, Newshub at 6, NZ Herald, Stuff and numerous tourism publications.

CREDITS

Agency: DDB Group Aotearoa
Client: Hadley Dryden – General Manager, Destination Hauraki Coromandel
Media Partners: PHD, MediaWorks, NZME, JCDecaux, oOh! Media,, Lumo