Tasti is one of those brands that everyone had in their cupboard, but they just couldn’t recall the name. This is despite the fact this it is one of the country’s oldest food brands, even predating Watties. Most of us have all munched on a Snack Log or their delicious dried fruit. Despite this rich heritage, Tasti were not about to shout it from the rooftops, they were far too humble. So how to get brand awareness for what should be an iconic brand?
In the face of globalisation our distinct Kiwi culture is at risk of being watered down. We have a rich tapestry of icons, characters, humour and language that is very dear to our hearts. Brands that champion our culture and put a mirror up to our ‘social glue’ will be rewarded via a relationship that they can create with the country. This is because they will reinforce why it is great to be a New Zealander. These icons reflect fond memories of childhood that we also want to gift to our kids so we have a shared social and cultural tapestry. If we can link Tasti with these, we can be seen as truly worthy of being Kiwi and being part of this generation’s childhood.
We wanted to hero cultural icons through communication. But which to choose? Why not ask the public. We put out a call to the public to vote for their favourite icons, and they came flooding in from the Buzzy Bee to Goodnight Kiwi. Our endline was suitably humble ‘We’re Not Quite As Kiwi…’, and the association was clear. We produced a user generated TV ad, multiple activations including honesty boxes and the hunt for the most Kiwi person in the country, we even put it on their trucks and created a ‘Great Kiwi Quiz’ website.
A massive shift in brand preference and the ad was voted as the Fair Go ad of that year. Not bad for a brand that most of us had trouble remembering.
