The Pacific - TVNZ
RSVP Gold, Customer Engagement
Issue 18 | March 2011
Agency
Colenso BBDO
Production Team
Lou Kuegler, Nick Worthington, Celeste Pulman, Kimberley Ragan, Rebecca Johnson-Pond
Other Credits
Tim Aitken, Charlotte Findlay
Background
TVNZ wanted to use the launch of Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Pacific’ to bring younger viewers to TV ONE and create greater preference for the channel.
Idea
To create relevance and excitement, Colenso BBDO brought the reality of the Pacific war to life in a most authentic and emotionally powerful way, by sourcing genuine letters written by soldiers themselves at the time. These were used in direct mail, outdoor and adshels.
To bring the experience of war even closer, a WWII dogfight between two Japanese warplanes and a New Zealand Kittyhawk was restaged in the skies just off the coast of Auckland.
Results
Proving that big ideas drive business results, the campaign helped the show attract 24% of New Zealanders to the first episode, compared to just 1% in the USA and UK. In addition, 2.3 million New Zealanders watched the show at some point and despite being a story set in 1942 it achieved the objective of attracting a younger audience to TV ONE.
The Letter
Dearest Mother,
It’s been a pretty long time since I wrote last but not too much has happened. The only thing you would be interested in is the fact that after I was discharged from that Navy hospital, I returned to my company.
Four days later, still on the front lines, a Jap opened up on us, as we were digging foxholes late in the afternoon, with a 20mm anti-aircraft gun. Turniung anti-aircraft guns against ground troops shows you how desperate they are. Anyhow, like a fool I fell in the hole and stuck my head out to try to see where he was firing from. One of the shells hit in the loose dirt right under my left hand.
We had dug a pretty good hole and there was a lot of wet dirt there, so all I got out of it was a bloody nose, piece of rock stuck in my chin and an eye full of mud, and of course a headache to beat all headaches. This time I’m in an Asrmy hospital! They picked the mud and specks of rock out of my eye, fixed my chin and so tomorrow I again go back to my company and the front lines.
Those Japs are getting my range, slowly but surely and I don’t like it at all. A guy’s luck, even mone, can’t last forever. Barsness and I thought we were immune to much stuff but Barsness is gone and I am left by myself now.
He was the closest buddy I ever had, he was as close if not closer to me than Jim is. I’m not ashamed to say I cried many nights after it happened. I wish I’d get a case of amnesia or something for a guys memory can just about drive him nuts at times.
Hope everybody is all right at home, give them my love. No telling when I’ll get another chance to write you.
All my love, your youngest son, Johnny