Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero

May 27 2025, 10:47 am | BY Ricki Green | No Comments
Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero

In this edition of Beyond the Brief, Campaign Brief chats with Chief Creative Officer Brad Collett and Creative Director Bobbie McKay, from leading New Zealand indie agency FEDERATION, about their latest high-energy campaign for DoorDash. With a new Kiwi superhero, a reimagined Queen anthem, and a distinctly local sense of humour, the campaign delivers on speed, personality and cultural cut-through. We caught up with the team to hear how Dash came to life, how they convinced Brian May to approve the reworked lyrics, and what happens when your lead actor’s partner goes into labour on the first day of the shoot.

 

Let’s start at the beginning – what was the original brief from DoorDash?

Brad Collett & Bobbie McKay: DoorDash approached us with a simple but ambitious brief. Since launching in NZ, they have disrupted the online food delivery market by communicating the range of merchants and deals on their platform. But they felt it was time to adopt a disruptor mindset, doubling-down on the speed and timeliness of delivery in the eyes of the consumer.

What was the inspiration behind the Dash campaign for DoorDash?

B&B: DoorDash is known for turning up, on time, when you really need them. So we wanted to create a character that personifies this. Introducing Dash, a DoorDash superhero Kiwis can relate to – fast, friendly with a bit of Kiwi sass. Dash isn’t just a superhero, he’s New Zealand’s  latest brand icon, the guy who delivers in those moments when hunger strikes.


A superhero with a Kiwi accent. Tell us more…

B&B: If there’s a category for super heroes, Dash is probably more superhero-lite. He’s not your overly muscled, smash through walls, X-ray vision type of hero. He’s basically a laid-back guy who’s really good at showing up on time.

So, what goes into creating a superhero?

B&B: A whole lot of discussions around capes. The wardrobe wizards had a field day designing different costumes. Would a Kiwi super hero wear jandals? Would they wear stubbies? We had all kinds of weird and wonderful conversations. There was also the all-important convo about preserving modesty. Turns out a piece of white bread hides a whole lot of stuff you don’t need the public to see.

We weren’t just creating a superhero character, we were creating the next Kiwi icon.

Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero

The campaign features a reimagined Queen anthem, Flash Gordon. What was the process of getting Queen’s approval for this?

B&B: We didn’t just remake the track. With the amazing team at Liquid and the help of Franklin Road, we rewrote it, remixed it and reKiwifiied it. We knew it was the perfect anthem for Dash and it needed to be reworked to get the charm and energy we wanted for Dash. Brian May’s team had to approve every lyric change. There was a lot of back and forth, especially while Brian was performing at Coachella. But it was worth it. To hear the words “Approved. Love ‘em” was incredible. It’s not every day you get rock legend approval.

Dash isn’t just timely, he can also sing. It was super cool that the actor who played Dash actually sang the high notes too.


Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero

The clearance process sounds like it was complex. Can you share more about that?

B&B: It definitely wasn’t your usual clearance process. We had teams working across multiple countries: Queen’s team in the UK for the musical track, and Flash Gordon’s movie IP in New York and Brazil. It was a logistical maze. But when an idea is strong, it pulls everyone together.

While we never mention him, when we set out to secure the rights to Queen’s Flash Gordon musical track, there was a perceived connection between the golden-haired, crazily muscled superhero from the 80s movie and a Kiwi guy who’s just really good at turning up on time – from a legal perspective anyway.

Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero

How did the shoot go? 

B&B: Like a dream. Well, if you ignore the fact that we were trying to depict a summer scenario and the Auckland weather refused to play ball. Oh, and the fact that our lead actor’s wife went into labour on day one of the shoot.

But the Thunderlips guys were crazy excited about the challenge. They interrogated every facet of the shoot and brought some really innovative ideas to the table about lenses and framing. The Supernormal team really helped bring Dash to life. “I’m freezing my almonds off”. That’s all them.

This is DoorDash’s biggest campaign in New Zealand to date. What kind of impact do you expect it to have?

B&B: It’s a big, bold campaign with wide-ranging media, from TV and BVOD to out-of-home, digital, radio and social. It’s all about timeliness, and Dash personifies that. We’re confident Kiwis will respond to it, that people will start calling out Dash!AAAAAAAAH! when they’re in need of a feed. It all started with Rhian Bedford-Palmer, an ambitious and brave client who backed the idea from day dot.

Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero

How does this campaign align with FEDERATION’s creative ethos?

B&B: At FEDERATION, we pride ourselves on creating campaigns that turn heads and leave a lasting impression. Whether it’s a superhero like Dash or something as wild as a sushi airline for St Pierres, we push the boundaries of creativity. Dash is a character people will remember, the anthem will stick in people’s heads, and the overall campaign will cut through the noise. It has all the ingredients to become something that’s truly iconic.

Finally, what can we expect from Dash in the coming months?

B&B: We’re just getting started. We’re confident that Kiwis are going to fall in love with Dash. The campaign’s just kicked off but, with the help of our media friends at Wavemaker, we’ve got some surprises in store. The campaign will keep evolving, but one thing’s for sure, Dash is here to stay.

OK, last question, have you tried on the Dash suit?

B&B: No way, they’re big boots to fill.

Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero Beyond the Brief: How FEDERATION won over rock royalty to deliver Aotearoa’s newest superhero

Client: DoorDash
Marketing Manager: Rhian Bedford-Palmer
Agency: FEDERATION
Production company: Supernormal
Directors: THUNDERLIPS
Music & Sound Production: Liquid Studios & Franklin Rd
PR: Bastion Shine & FEDERATION
Social: Bastion Shine
Media: Wavemaker

 

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