To showcase the stunning New Zealand scenery and the warmth of its people, we mixed a little Christmas spirit with a lot of Kiwi can-do spirit, and gave a young boy in one of the world’s most remote locations a unique Christmas gift - making sure Santa didn't forget about him. We used real Air New Zealand staff, a real family, and lots and lots of Christmas lights, to create an unexpected solution to a touching problem, facilitated by New Zealand’s national airline.

In an incredible (and incredibly remote) part of new Zealand's South Island, we found a little boy with a big problem. Archie’s family had just moved to New Zealand from Australia, and, with his first kiwi Christmas looming, he was worried that Santa wouldn't find him at the bottom of the world. So we came up with a bright idea. 10,000 lightbulb bright. Using Air New Zealand's ground support crew and engineers, we surprised Archie with a very special sign in his paddock. A sign so big and bright that Santa (and the rest of the world) couldn't ignore it.

2.2M Views 

37K Shares

47K Likes

Local and global news coverage.

 “And this sort of thing is exactly why I fly with Air NZ every time!”

- Lana Kneas 

“Blubbering like a baby flying Air New Zealand this Christmas too <3”

- Bec Green 

“Only in NZ! Bloody brilliant! Merry Christmas”

- Julie Wythes  

“Made me cry, miss the beauty of NZ! Well done Air NZ”

- Bronwyn Allard 

Christmas isn’t just the season of giving. It’s also the season of ridiculously high-budget, overly-dramatised communication; a tinsel-covered arms race between brands to see who can deliver the biggest, most epic spot.

But Air New Zealand stands for genuine connection. So, we decided to do something real, and created an unexpected solution to a touching problem. The film struck a chord with audiences all over the world, and gave Air New Zealand one of its most viewed pieces of communication in the brand’s history.

We wanted to give our small but incredibly vocal expat Facebook community a very special Christmas present. One that would fill them with fond nostalgia for their homeland, and pride in their national airline. And, more importantly, one they would share with all their friends. They didn't disappoint. Within 24 hours our film had racked up five hundred thousand views and garnered global media coverage. We woke up on Christmas morning to find those views had reached  2.1 million.

With Christmas right around the corner, December 2015 presented Air New Zealand with a unique targeting and timing opportunity. Expats were feeling homesick, Aussies were thinking about travelling over the holidays. We needed to remind both what made New Zealand and Air New Zealand so special.