The Monkeys Aotearoa launches new brand design and ad campaign for realestate.co.nz

AUCKLAND, Monday: Property portal realestate.co.nz has appointed The Monkeys Aotearoa, as its new strategic, design and creative agency – after a pitch. Unlike most agencies, The Monkeys declined to name the incumbent creative agency “out of professional courtesy” – but M+AD believes it was BCG2.

realestate.co.nz ceo Sarah Wood said: “We have collaborated with The Monkeys Aotearoa to develop a new brand identity and campaign that cuts through the noise of the market, builds brand love, and focuses on the buyer and their life.

“Over the last few years we have re-platformed our web product, launched our app, improved search accuracy, speed and many of our product features, so we were looking for someone to help drive our next stage of growth.

“The Monkeys had the strategic depth, creative firepower and design we were looking for.”

The Monkey Aotearoa ceo Justin Mowday said: “realestate.co.nz is the Samsung of the property listings sector; they have a better product, better experience, better speed, better accuracy, but they’re up against a goliath brand that enjoys the default status, so many people just don’t know how good realestate.co.nz is.

“We’ve loved the opportunity to get involved from strategy to brand design and communications. Sarah, Vanessa, and the team have been brilliant partners and we look forward to the results coming.

“At the heart of the campaign is a piece of storytelling – the tale of a young girl and her father as they navigate the highs and lows of moving house.”

“The Monkeys has led a refresh of the design system alongside the development of the new brand platform It all starts here. The new design system incorporates an evolution of the logo, with the new identity being applied to the product itself, including the website, app and advertising campaign.

“At the heart of the ad campaign is a piece of storytelling – the tale of a young girl and her father as they navigate the highs and lows of moving house.

“It documents the girl’s initial frustration of moving away from her friends, to her awe and wonderment as she realises their new house gives her unspoilt access to her favourite thing – the night sky.

The Monkeys Aotearoa CCO Damon Stapleton, said: “We like the thought that finding a new house isn’t just about the bricks, mortar, number of rooms or off-street parking; it’s actually about the type of life you want to live.

“So rather than follow the category convention of leading with ads about functional product features, we want to encourage people to think about the life they want and finding the home that will help them achieve that.

“This story is reminiscent of many of us who have sought out change, in order to achieve the life we want to live. The film heroes the idea that wherever you are, whatever you’re looking for, change all starts at realestate.co.nz.”

Alongside the broadcast film, the campaign also includes OOH, online video and digital that champions the night sky and the search portal that led to it.

CREDITS

Client: realestate.co.nz
Chief Executive Officer: Sarah Wood
General Manager Marketing and Media: Vanessa Williams
Head of Brand and Communications: Ashley Harder

Agency: The Monkeys Aotearoa, part of Accenture Song
Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton
Chief Business Officer: Storm Day
Head of Planning: Tom Sykes
Group Business Director: Ruth Coulson
Head of Integrated Production: Rosie Grayson
Creative Directors: James Connr & Christie Cooper
Planning Director: Craig McLeod
Designer: Lucinda Fortescue-Hansen
Business Manager: Georgie Burns
Art Director: Susannah O’hUadhaigh
Copywriter: Arron Sharma

Film Co: Finch Productions
Director: Zia Mandviwalla
Executive Producer: Bex Kelly
Producer: Duncan Bernard
DP: Ziga Zupancic
Production Designer: Sarah Cooper
Editor: Julian Currin
Colourist: Alana Cotton

Online: Creature Post
Sound and music: Liquid Studios
Media Partner: OMD

About The Monkeys Aotearoa
The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, create provocative ideas that live within advertising, entertainment and technology. They’ve been called an ad agency, a collective, a branded content company, the business model of the future and a bunch of bloody dreamers. Truth is, they’re a bit of each.

The agency does not have a dedicated NZ site

• themonkeys.com.au