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Pitch watch: Maritime NZ on the hunt for new agency partner

Government body Maritime New Zealand has put its creative and media accounts up for pitch after six years with FCB.

An FCB spokesperson yesterday confirmed the news, adding that the agency had decided not to participate in the pitch.      

“Maritime NZ has decided to engage in a procurement driven review of their agency relationships,” the spokesperson said.  

“After six successful years of working with Maritime NZ, we have decided that it’s time for us to part. We are incredibly proud of the work we have created together. More importantly in the last two years, the number of deaths amongst Kiwi leisure boaters has been halved. We wish Maritime NZ the very best of luck as they continue with their incredibly important work.”

FCB first started working with the organisation in 2011, when it won the account after four-way pitch.

In late 2013, FCB helped Maritime NZ launch a quirky Starsky and Hutch-themed campaign that played on the fact that a life jacket is useless if not worn.

Last year, this campaign won four silver Effies awards for effectiveness.

“It’s great that this advertising campaign is still being recognised for increasing the number of Kiwi boaties to wear lifejackets, four years after its launch and helping to save lives,” Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch said at the time.

The protagonist in this campaign, Joe Bro, extended his tenure as the face of the brand to 2017, appearing in this year’s ‘Nobody’s faster than disaster’ creative.

In addition to performing well at the Effies, FCB’s work for Maritime NZ has also performed well at the Beacons, winning 2016’s Best in Show for the ‘Using mobile to own moment’ campaign. This gong was followed up by another gold at this year’s edition of the event.

At this stage, it’s still unclear which agencies will be vying to succeed FCB on this account.    

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