New Zealand's number one commercial radio station, Newstalk ZB, has launched a new brand campaign celebrating the award-winning broadcasters behind its loyal audience - putting them in sharp, unvarnished close-up.
Developed by the NZME marketing and creative teams in partnership with Auckland agency Supernormal and photographed and directed by Reagen Butler, the campaign rolls out across radio, digital platforms, print, billboards and TV from today.
At its core is a simple proposition: in a world where it is increasingly hard to know what platforms to trust, Newstalk ZB offers experienced, credible broadcasters asking the right questions, every day. The creative platform - Every View from Every Angle - reflects the reasons audiences choose ZB, with headlines including: Hear Yourself Think, Hear What Matters, Hear It First. Reagen Butler's photography puts the Newstalk ZB hosts front and centre, mirroring the intimacy of radio and celebrating a brand with nothing to hide.
Katie Mills, Chief Marketing Officer - Audio, says: "There is often a temptation in marketing to change things, but the talented broadcasters in this campaign are the reason our audience trusts Newstalk ZB. Our job was simply to put them in a frame that does them justice. Newstalk ZB doesn't need a gimmick. It needs people to remember what they already know, that when something actually matters, this is where New Zealanders go."
The campaign arrives at a time when the network is celebrating unrivalled audience share and listener numbers. Newstalk ZB is New Zealand's number one radio station nationwide in both cumulative audience and station share, and the Mike Hosking Breakfast is the country's most listened-to radio show. The station has been named Station of the Year at the NZ Radio and Podcast Awards for five consecutive years and is again a finalist for the upcoming awards in June.
The campaign is designed for sustained brand building across the year, with a portfolio of executions adaptable to major moments including the upcoming General Election.
Mike Hosking says: "Newstalk ZB is coming up to 100 years of broadcasting to New Zealanders. A hundred years of loyal listeners, of earning trust, and of showing up every single day to ask the questions that matter. That's not something you build overnight, and it's not something you take for granted. This campaign is a celebration of that strength, of a station and a team that has always believed in being the best and never stopped working to prove it.”
Will Maisey, Head of Talk at Newstalk ZB, says: "This campaign is about confidence - confidence in our people, our platform and our audience. Newstalk ZB is the most listened-to station in the country because of the entire team behind it, on air and off. We've built something genuinely rare, and every person in our nationwide team plays a part in that. Seeing it celebrated like this is something we're all incredibly proud of.”
Campaign credits:
Reagen Butler Photography and Direction
Matt McKenzie Managing Director and EP Supernormal
Graham Dolan Group Creative Director, NZME
Xanthe Williams Creative Director, NZME
Katie Mills Chief Marketing Officer – Audio, NZME
Jennifer Pryor Group Senior Marketing Manager – Audio, NZME
Michelle Howard Senior Brand Manager – Audio, NZME
Will Maisey Head of Talk – Newstalk ZB, NZME
ENDS
Note: 30 second TVC can be found here. Creative featuring other Newstalk ZB talent is available on request.