AUCKLAND, Today: Hard Rated, Australia’s number one RTD, arrived in New Zealand earlier this year with a cheeky campaign suggesting the trans-Tasman brain drain might simply be because Aussies were hogging the best RTD.
The next chapter, created by Droga5 ANZ, flips the script by bringing a Kiwi home. A nationwide callout asked people to “dob in a friend” who’d crossed the ditch and needed convincing to return. Entries ranged from sweet, “Mum’s sick of putting the cat on FaceTime” — to savage — “He supports the Wallabies now.”
Hard Rated eventually landed on Grayson, and the brand went all out to bring him back. A helicopter banner circled Sydney Harbour and Bondi Beach urging him to come home, backed by a front-page splash in The New Zealand Herald.
Billboards on foot and on bikes then trailed him around his suburb with messages from loved ones. Radio listeners left hilarious voicemails, and social channels followed the chase live. It all wrapped with a hero’s welcome in Aotearoa, complete with airport signage ready for his return.
“Now that Hard Rated is available nationwide in New Zealand, we’re solving that problem once and for all.” – Tatyana Dickson, GM Marketing, Asahi Beverages NZ
Packed with humour, stunts, and classic trans-Tasman banter, the activation cemented Hard Rated’s irreverent vibe — and helped turn Australia’s number one RTD into New Zealand’s number one too*.
Tatyana Dickson, GM Marketing, Asahi Beverages NZ, says “New Zealanders have long crossed the ditch for better pay or warmer weather, or so we thought. Hard Rated’s launch campaign flipped that idea, hinting that maybe the real reason was to get a taste of Australia’s No.1 RTD.
“Now that Hard Rated is available nationwide in New Zealand, we’re solving that problem once and for all. With this next, outlandish phase, Hard Rated invites everyone to enjoy what might just be the best thing to ever come out of Australia, right here at home.”
Christie Cooper & James Conner, Executive Creative Directors, Droga5 ANZ, added “Hard Rated is already a powerhouse in Australia, and we wanted to bring that same energy to New Zealand, with a little cheek and a lot of flavour.
“This next act in our campaign captures the trans-Tasman rivalry perfectly, proving that sometimes the best imports are worth bringing home.”
CREDITS
Client: Asahi Beverages NZ
GM Marketing: Tatyana Dickson
Senior Marketing Lead: Jonathan Rea
Senior Brand Manager: Monique O’Neil
Connections Planner: Emily Cryer
Social Media Specialist: Izaak Kirkbeck
Creative Agency: Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song
Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton
Executive Creative Directors: Christie Cooper & James Conner
Copywriter: Casey Clarke
Art Director: Zac Nairn
Group Business Director: James Allan
Senior Business Director: Danny Murphy
GM & Executive Producer: Rosie Grayson
Integrated Producer: Callum Crabb
Design Lead: Lucinda Fortescue-Hansen
Intermediate Graphic Designer: Vivian Heng
Senior Finished Artist: Lisa Stowers
Production Company: Eden Studios
Helicopter Banner: Airvision Aviation
Media Partners: Spark Foundry NZ | Hearts and Science
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