Tui brings back iconic ‘Yeah right’ billboards via Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, Special and dentsu Aotearoa

After almost a decade since Tui’s last ‘Yeah right’ billboard ran, DB Breweries has announced their return. A slew of new billboards will appear all around the country, boasting lines with the same hilarious irreverence from the past. Saatchi & Saatchi led the creative with Special heading up PR and dentsu Aotearoa in charge of media.

The revival is in response to making beer brand marketing fun again, stepping away from the recent ‘do it by the book’ approach and walking the precarious line of cancel culture to bring Kiwis a good laugh.

Tui’s Fraser Shrimpton says, “We’re living in a world where everyone has an opinion about everything, all the time. There’s no avoiding feedback, so we’ve decided, as a brand, we’re not afraid to say what we’ve all been thinking.”

“The billboards are our way of connecting with Kiwis, aiming to help them lighten up and have a laugh”, he adds.

The strategy, idea and advertising has been brought back to life by long-term DB partner Saatchi & Saatchi, who famously led the initial campaign for the original billboards that ran from 1997, with lines such as “Of course I like your Mum. Yeah right” and continued for sixteen years until 2013 with social commentary like “Let’s hear what Gareth Morgan has to say about it. Yeah right.”

Sean Cummins, founder of cummins&partners, who created the initial ‘Yeah Right’ campaign is proud to see the campaign’s return: “My whole approach to creativity is not to write ads… but write platforms. When in New Zealand I wrote this campaign ably supported by Jason Ross as art director and a young Richard Maddocks.

“Whilst we were all Aussies, we listened to the staunch drinkers from Hawkes Bay. And this was the result. Really proud to see the agency bring back a campaign that became so iconic. And props to the agency creatives that carried on with it after us.”

The new billboards will take the same irreverent, tongue-in-cheek tone as the original campaign.

Says Steve Cochrane, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi: “The Tui billboards became an iconic part of the New Zealand culture, and there was always a lot of anticipation to see what would be next. ‘Yeah right’ is still a very Kiwi phrase, so we’re thrilled to bring it back and inject some much-needed humour into beer advertising.”

Special PR is leading the creative PR and media relations strategy by helping DB Breweries front-foot the inevitable onslaught of commentary. It’s launched the ‘Tui Feedback Line’, a phone feedback service available 24/7 on 0800-TUI-YEAH-RIGHT (0800 884 932).

Members of the public are encouraged to leave feedback, suggestions, complaints, or just have a good old chin-wag about the return of the ‘Yeah right’ to Mike Minogue.

Special’s Managing Director, Kelly Grindle, adds, “The drinks market is oversaturated with dozens of brands looking to cut through the noise – sometimes, the most eWective way to do that is to take the brave route.

“We’ve loved working alongside DB and its agency village to bring this one to life, and we are grateful to have clients willing to step outside the bounds and do great work.”

Dentsu led the campaign’s integrated media approach, bringing it to life via its proprietary dynamic creative solution, D4, to help enhance creative relevance and impact across large-format OOH and supporting digital media, ensuring the campaign’s revival generates maximum talkability and buzz.

Dentsu Senior Client Partner Nathan Pilkington added: “Media magic is an integral part of this campaign, and we’re excited to be able to showcase some of Dentu’s innovative, dynamic digital tools to bring back the iconic Tui billboards that will no doubt drive a lot of noise.”

If you have feedback about one of the Tui billboards, dial 0800-TUI-YEAH-RIGHT (0800 884 932), right now.