AUCKLAND, Today: Westpac NZ and Saatchi & Saatchi NZ have teamed up on Fear-Free Credit, a horror-inspired campaign showing young Kiwis that credit cards don’t need to be terrifying. Media was led by Spark Foundry NZ, with Digitas NZ handling customer experience.
The campaign flips classic horror tropes into lessons on credit, from haunting impulse buys to the dread of spiralling debt. Central to it all was the House of Credit Card Fears, an eerie pop-up with rooms embodying each worry.
Visitors ended their journey in the Fear-Free Zone, where Westpac’s six steps to responsible credit turned anxiety into confidence. The experience empowered participants to take control and build healthier credit scores.
Gen Z’s love of horror provided the perfect hook. By leaning into this cultural connection, the campaign made financial literacy feel relevant, practical, and even entertaining, while offering the tools to build credit with confidence.
Westpac NZ Chief Brand & Marketing Officer Sarah Williams says, “Insights show young people are significantly more credit card-shy than other generations, often because they lack the confidence to manage debt responsibly or use credit to their advantage.
“We wanted to address these fears directly and give them the tools to turn credit from a source of worry into an opportunity.”
The pop-up house doubled as a film set, producing immersive content. Participants received personalised experiences and photos to share on social media, creating an extra layer of engagement and extending the campaign beyond the activation.
“Insights show young people are significantly more credit card-shy than other generations, often because they lack the confidence to manage debt responsibly or use credit to their advantage.” – Sarah Williams, Westpac NZ Chief Brand & Marketing Officer
Lee Sunter, Executive Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, adds: “Fear-Free Credit came from a strong creative idea: reimagining a house of horrors into an immersive financial experience.
“Each room was designed to let participants physically walk through their credit-related fears. By tracking their heart rates, we identified their biggest anxieties, allowing us to deliver tailored tips and tools in the Westpac Fear-Free Zone. The result was a personalised experience for every individual who chose to face their credit fears.”
Produced by experiential agency Spur, the activation ran 19–21 September at 9/11 Durham Lane, Auckland. It sold out, attracting a wide range of participants, who eagerly shared their spooky-but-useful encounters across their socials.
Spark Foundry NZ rolled out OOH across key urban spots, pushed radio promotions with MediaWorks, and drove 7.5 million digital impressions across TikTok, Meta, and YouTube. They also brokered a HOYTS partnership to align with horror films through October–December.
Digitas NZ built a dedicated landing page and refreshed the Fee Free Mastercard product page, helping 18–29 year olds better understand and manage credit.
The campaign isn’t over yet — short videos are rolling out across social channels, each spotlighting a different “fear” and how Fear-Free Credit turns it into empowerment.
CREDITS
Saatchi&Saatchi
CEO: Mark Cochrane
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Cochran
Executive Creative Director: Lee Sunter
Associate Creative Director: Cece Chu
Senior Art Director: Tim Yates
Senior Copywriter: Ryan Price
General Manager: Annabel Rees
Group Business Director: Aaron Hodgson
Business Manager: Jeannie Grace
Strategy Director: Brendan Greenwell
Design Director: Shiv Narandas
Designer: Talia Schofield
Retoucher: Nick Browne
Executive Producer: Jane Mill
Producer: Claudia Duncan
Head of Post Production: Tracy Powell
Senior Editor: Morgan Parish
Westpac
CMO: Sarah Williams
Head of Propositions and Campaigns: Lou Golding
Head of Brand: Nilleema Allerston
Senior Marketing Manager: Allie Buczkowski
Marketing Manager: Georgia Livingstone
Videographer/Photographer: Fraser Clements
Experiential Agency: SPUR
Media Agency: Spark Foundry
Customer Agency: Digitas
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