WestiePac
Westpac New Zealand Limited
Issue 3 | July 2008
Agency
AIM Proximity
Creative Team
Matt Hampton - Art Director;Chris Long - Copywriter;Aaron Goldring - Head of Interactive Art;Ann Davenport - Senior Designer;Jo Otto - Senior Mac Artist
Production Team
Jo Tacon - Production Director
Other Credits
Teresa Ryan - Senior Account Director;Victoria Pether - Senior Account Manager
Date
February 2007
Background
The task was to get tertiary students to sign up with Westpac Bank’s Student Pack. But every other bank wanted students too. Three of the largest universities were exclusively booked by competitor banks, stopping Westpac from on-campus promotions.
Idea
In New Zealand, ‘Westies’ are people who have a mullet haircut, a black t-shirt, an old V8 car, and a lot of heavy metal music. AIM Proximity decided to leverage this subculture - and students’ predilection for mockery and high jinx - and changed Westpac student pack to ‘Westie pac’. Their Westie crew, with mullets and black t-shirts, encouraged students to sign up at their ‘Westie Lounge’ on campus. Westies provided entertainment, food and stunts, and gave students the chance to win the ‘Westie Wheels’ car. At campuses where Westpac was prohibited, the Westies drove by in their Westie Wheels. Walking about in their t-shirts and mullets, they created controversy and more talkability. The campaign was supported with flyers, posters, a Westie website, student TV coverage and viral movies.
Results
This was the most successful ever Westpac student campaign, increasing new student sign ups by 500% compared to last year… and they’re still signing up.
Target Audience
Third year students
Our Thoughts
Work like this would simply never happen in the UK. Imagine one of the high street banks trying to attract students by handing out mullet wigs? You can’t, can you? It’s too irreverent, too jokey. But not for New Zealand where even the banks have a sense of humour.