Popeyes frenzy: Kiwis race to Be the first

AUCKLAND, Today: Popeyes Fried Chicken has arrived, and everyone wants a taste. But being the first to try it? That’s a special bragging right.

To celebrate the launch of their first Australasian restaurant in Auckland, Pitchblack and Hearts & Science created a unique campaign. It gave every New Zealander a chance to claim they were the first—be it the first Sam, Kate, or Sione, or the first in their office, street, or social basketball team.

The ‘be the first’ campaign used a fully integrated approach, focusing on influence, performance, and connections. With partnerships, events, OOH, audio, and social media, Kiwis flocked to be the first in line.

The result? Popeyes shattered the global record for first-store, first-day sales.

“We had the perfect recipe for this launch: a phenomenal brand, a strong agency-client relationship, and a collective desire to connect New Zealanders with Popeyes.”

Tom Paine, ECD of Pitchblack Partners, and Cassidy Meredith, GM of Hearts & Science, were thrilled to bring this campaign to life alongside the local Popeyes team.

“With over 4,000 restaurants in 40 markets, we’re proud to have helped the local team smash record sales. This is our chance to brag,” said Paine.

“We had the perfect recipe for this launch: a phenomenal brand, a strong agency-client relationship, and a collective desire to connect New Zealanders with Popeyes. We’re excited about the future and committed to painting the country orange,” added Meredith.

Sharn Phillips, Head of Marketing at Popeyes NZ, couldn’t have asked for a better result. “Starting strong was crucial in such a competitive market. My challenge to the agencies was to capture the global hype and use it to our advantage here. The team nailed it.”