With ‘IKEA mania’ hitting Auckland this week – the team at LOVE Taupō thought why not cash in with a bit of gentle fun.
They got creative with their Christchurch-based agency Make to see how they could join in welcoming IKEA to New Zealand and promote Taupō at the same time.
Destination Great Lake Taupō general manager, Patrick Dault said: “What started out as an idea to be a bit tongue in cheek really got us thinking. The more we delved into brand Sweden, the more we saw some alignment with the incredible array of nature-based activities Taupō has to offer. It felt fair to say that Taupō is most likely New Zealand’s most Swedish town.”
“The vast natural assets of Taupō lend themselves toward healthy, active and immersive holiday experiences and we have assembled our own top ten with links at lovetaupo.com to delve deeper into how visitors can bring these to life.”
1. Nature-first mindset
2. Crystal-clear water culture
3. Outdoor lifestyle
4. Long [est] days – an endless summer!
5. Simple, design-minded living
6. Sustainability at the core
7. Safe, community-centred culture
8. Slow-paced wellbeing
9. Cool-climate creativity
10. Winter-wonderland contrast
With the Taupō experience and environment firmly rooted in the natural world, it felt like a good fit, says Dault.
“The fact that the thousands of people are expected to descend on IKEA’s Sylvia Park location in the lead up to Christmas, means people will have a little more time in traffic to reflect on where they might like to go next!
“We worked with our agency Make to offer them a fun, visual reflection for considering Taupō for their next getaway.”
The Make team secured strategically located billboards at the entrance to Sylvia Park on which client and strategy lead, Natalie Crowe says the ‘uniquely Taupō imagery and IKEA inspired messaging has been used to offer a playful antidote to sitting in traffic and aims to both entertain and inspire.
There is a witty play on the IKEA offering which is renowned for its high quality, high design and functionality, but also for its flat pack takeout presentation.
“Tapping into this playful mindset with a Taupō message felt natural and fun, it was fitting for the occasion and connected with the Kiwi psyche,” says Dault.
