Black Friday? Skip the hangover

AUCKLAND, Today: Westpac NZ has introduced a campaign to help Gen Z and Millennials “resist pressure to buy more than they need, know their limits and stick to it, or ‘spend with a friend’ who can talk them out of impulse buys.”

Research highlights that younger New Zealanders are more likely to spend impulsively, putting them at greater risk of debt hangovers from events like Black Friday. This generation faces more spending triggers than ever and the ease of ‘Buy Now’ technology.

The quirky campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, uses a hangover analogy to engage younger audiences with financial literacy. It’s a fresh approach to starting important money conversations.

Westpac NZ Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah Williams says, “Big sales events are great, they give people access to goods at lower prices and they stimulate retail activity for businesses. But there is a flip side. And that is the trap of over doing it, spending beyond what you can afford, which means paying for it later, both literally and metaphorically.”

“This campaign is designed as a light-hearted way of getting younger New Zealanders to be a little more conscious of their shopping behaviour and their limits, as they head into a very seductive retail sales period. It’s certainly not about ‘not shopping’, but about conscious shopping,” she added.

“We see this campaign going beyond just Black Friday. Young people are as susceptible to spending hangovers all year round.” – Steve Cochran

The campaign includes six mobile-friendly films with titles like Bad Decisions, Spend With A Friend, Know Your Limit, Still Paying For It, Never Again (Again), and Recovery. A series of street posters follow similar themes with headlines such as Avoid Black Friday Hangovers and Pace Yourself.

Westpac has even partnered with Ārepa to launch a special edition Prevention drink “designed with key nutritional ingredients to help brains stay clear and sharp while they navigate all the temptations of Black Friday.” These will be distributed at malls and promoted on social media.

Steve Cochran, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, explains, “Young adults generally tend to ignore bank advertising, so getting their attention is hard enough, let alone getting them to lean in and engage with your messaging.

“We think this campaign will do just that. And have enough impact that we’ll help avoid a few self-inflicted financial headaches.”

Directed by Sam Kristofski of Flying Fish, the films and stills bring the campaign to life. Spark Foundry led media planning, while Digitas handled website assets. Launching a week before Black Friday, the campaign runs through December.

Cochran adds, “We see this campaign going beyond just Black Friday. Young people are as susceptible to spending hangovers all year round.”

CREDITS

Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi NZ
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Cochran
Executive Creative Director: Jordan Sky
Senior Creative: Connyr Snell
Senior Creative: Cain Duff
General Manager: Annabel Rees
Group Business Director: Aaron Hodgson
Business Director: Max Lahaye
Chief Strategy Officer: David McIndoe
Strategy Director: Brendan Greenwell
Executive Producer: Jane Mill
Producer: Amy Saunders

Client: Westpac
CMO: Sarah Williams
Head of Propositions and Campaigns: Louisa Golding
Senior Marketing Manager: Allie Buczkowski
Marketing Manager: Georgia Livingstone
Head of Brand: Nileema Allerston
Brand Lead: Charlotte Sangster
Senior Marketing Manager: Pip Mearns

Production Company: Fish
Director: Sam Kristofski