Hard Rated Brings the Heat Across the Ditch Yet Again with New Stunts & Activations via Droga5

Australia’s number one RTD, Hard Rated, officially landed in New Zealand earlier this year, launching with a cheeky campaign that leant into the trans-Tasman brain drain, which, according to the brand, may have simply been caused by Australians hogging the best RTD. Created by Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, the next part of the campaign sees Hard Rated decide to make amends for luring Kiwi mates away, by bringing one home.

A nationwide callout asked people to ‘dob in a friend’ across the ditch who needed convincing to come back. The entries rolled in, from heartfelt (“Mum’s sick of putting the cat on FaceTime”) to downright brutal (“He supports the Wallabies now”).

Once Hard Rated found its guy, Grayson, the brand went all-in to get him home. A helicopter banner flew over Sydney Harbour and Bondi Beach calling on him to return home, and this also appeared on the front page of The New Zealand Herald.

From there, human and bike billboards stalked him through his Sydney suburb with messages from friends and family. Radio listeners left voicemails giving him funny reasons for why he should come back, while social followed the trans-Tasman chase in real time. It all ended with a hero’s welcome in Aotearoa, complete with airport signage celebrating his return.

With humour, audacious stunts, and plenty of trans-Tasman banter, the activation and social media campaign didn’t just cement Hard Rated’s irreverent personality, it achieved the goal of making Australia’s number one RTD New Zealand’s number one too*.

VIEW THE DAY 1 STUNTS
VIEW THE DAY 2 STUNTS

Says Tatyana Dickson, GM Marketing, Asahi Beverages NZ:“New Zealanders have long crossed the ditch for better pay or warmer weather, or so we thought. Hard Rated’s launch campaign flipped that idea, hinting that maybe the real reason was to get a taste of Australia’s No.1 RTD.

“Now that Hard Rated is available nationwide in New Zealand, we’re solving that problem once and for all. With this next, outlandish phase, Hard Rated invites everyone to enjoy what might just be the best thing to ever come out of Australia, right here at home.”

Adds Christie Cooper & James Conner, Executive Creative Directors, Droga5 ANZ: “Hard Rated is already a powerhouse in Australia, and we wanted to bring that same energy to New Zealand, with a little cheek and a lot of flavour. This next act in our campaign captures the trans-Tasman rivalry perfectly, proving that sometimes the best imports are worth bringing home.”

Creative Agency: Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song
Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton
Executive Creative Directors: Christie Cooper & James Conner
Copywriter: Casey Clarke
Art Director: Zac Nairn
Group Business Director: James Allan
Senior Business Director: Danny Murphy
GM & Executive Producer: Rosie Grayson
Integrated Producer: Callum Crabb
Design Lead: Lucinda Fortescue-Hansen
Intermediate Graphic Designer: Vivian Heng

Senior Finished Artist: Lisa Stowers
Production Company: Eden Studios
Helicopter Banner: Airvision Aviaion

Media Partners: Spark Foundry NZ | Hearts and Science

Client: Asahi Beverages NZ
GM Marketing: Tatyana Dickson
Senior Marketing Lead: Jonathan Rea
Senior Brand Manager: Monique O’Neil
Connections Planner: Emily Cryer
Social Media Specialist: Izaak Kirkbeck