How the early bird got the world's attention, and kept it for a year.
With most of us reaching for our content fix before even getting out of bed, who would have thought a warm good morning had the ability to cut through it all, and cement itself as a daily ritual?
In this episode, Special Group's Tony Bradbourne and Tourism New Zealand's Brodie Reid wind back the clock through 366 days of content, uncovering the origins of a campaign viewers were begging not to end. Hear how everyday Kiwis became global tourism ambassadors for New Zealand and discover an entire year's worth of learnings.
1. Think big (really, really big)
For a small country, Special Group and Tourism NZ showed the world the power of a big idea. Owning every morning, every day with one simple, genuine and authentic rationale – they're up first.
'We knew we had to totally change the model' explains Reid. Wanting to steer clear of tourism cliches, the team broke beyond traditional advertising with a content-led campaign which built viewing habits over time.
'Every execution had 8 different formats, was subtitled in over 6 different languages. And resulted in over 2,700 versions.' says Bradbourne.
Shifting it from a traditional execution that would have been a drop in the Pacific ocean, to a mammoth series of morning rituals that viewers began to look forward to on shores around the globe.
2. Don't cheat on your idea (but be prepared to pivot)
With a concept this complex and this consistent, it's tempting to look for shortcuts – but the team were committed to do it right.
It had to be every day, not every week – the content always had to be shot in the morning, and it had to feel topical with what was happening in the world.
They had to roll with, and be sensitive to, some of the devastating lows that can happen over the course of a year. Like the heartbreaking events surrounding the White Island Volcano eruption.
'It was a powerful piece.' says Bradbourne, commenting on the response from Jamie Tuuta, Chairman of Tourism New Zealand after respectfully pausing the campaign for a week.
By staying true to the Good Morning World campaign through thick and thin, they proved even further the benefits of being flexible, no matter how big the idea.
3. Put people at the heart
Having fallen into the habit of highlighting too much of New Zealand's beautiful scenery, there was an opportunity to elevate New Zealand's beautiful people and culture as well.
'Everyday Kiwis, no actors, no scripts' comments Reid. Reaching out to friends of friends, and family members to build the suite of content on the limited budget only made every execution of this campaign stronger and more unique.
A smiling Kiwi every day for an entire year. These were genuine, authentic, and real lives happening in the moment – which played out perfectly amongst the content viewers are used to consuming on the platform, and their devices.
Creating a campaign with impact doesn't always mean launching with a bang, but as Tourism New Zealand proved – sometimes all that's needed is something ambitious, genuine and consistent. And when faced with the challenge of what you would say to someone when they wake up to your big idea? You can start with something simple like, 'Good Morning'.
Explore more of the most relevant, talked about, and iconic YouTube campaigns globally Meet the Makers – presented by Think with Google.
