The Warehouse launches ‘Sweet As’ campaign for exclusive Kiwi Scrabble via DDB New Zealand

It’s the game where it’s totally fine to be looking for an “O for Awesome”. The Warehouse has teamed up with Mattel to launch NZ’s very own exclusive version of Scrabble, chocka full of 300 Kiwi words.

The launch follows a nationwide word search earlier this year as thousands flocked to The Warehouse’s Facebook page to share their favourite parts of kiwi vocabulary.

The final stage of the campaign launches Wednesday, with a TVC created by DDB, in partnership with The Warehouse’s internal creative agency.  Strategy and media support delivered by Omnicom Media Group (OMG) with media partnership and influencer activity led by Spark PR & Activate.

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The Warehouse’s head of marketing, Becki Butler said it has been a privilege to take Kiwi Scrabble from its creative infancy with Mattel, right through to this celebration of our unique culture.

Says Butler: “The Warehouse has been a part of New Zealand culture for more than 36 years, so this new version of Kiwi Scrabble gives us a chance to shine a light on our inimitable language, and do it with purpose and reason.”

This is the first fully-integrated marcomms campaign The Warehouse Group has delivered in collaboration between its in-house creative agency, recently appointed media agency OMG, and long-standing partner DDB.

The TVCs, in market from Tuesday, feature Kiwi icons Jo Seager and David Tua and ignite the age-old debate over the who is the rightful owner of the ‘Pavlova’ – New Zealand or Australia.  

Unsurprisingly the Aussies have included it in their version of the game too.

A Spark PR & Activate-managed media partnership with NZME, also launching this week, will settle the score over who owns the ‘pav’ once and for all. More will be revealed on that one to soon.

Kiwi Scrabble launched instore on 22nd September and, last week, The Warehouse in Manukau was renamed ‘The Warewhare’ with the store’s sign being replaced and spelled out in Scrabble tiles. The Warehouse hosted a family fun day at the store with activities and The Hits Street Team onsite.

The campaign also features a first-to-market partnership for any NZ retailer with Google’s Director Mix product on YouTube. Over 100 dynamic video bumpers connect the new Kiwi Scrabble words with viewers’ interests, all running across a wide variety of YouTube content. Messaging also run across digital and traditional OOH and social, with a series of fun creative that heroes some favourite kiwi words from the game.

The Warehouse Group Chief Marketing Officer: Jonathan Waecker

Post Production: Creature