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Mitre 10 uses Kong the donkey to unveil new brand mission

An escaping pet donkey called Kong is the star of Mitre 10’s latest campaign as the company changes its brand mission.

The 45 second spot, from FCB, called “Roy – Kong’s Out Again” follows the exploits of Kong, and his owner Roy’s attempts to keep him fenced in time after time. After a visit to Mitre 10, the answer lies in not building another wall or way to keep Kong enclosed but to make a donkey friend for Kong.

The campaign begins a new era for the brand with a new brand mission ‘Get it done right’.

Mitre 10 general manager marketing Jules Lloyd-Jones says it’s important for the brand to stay relevant and acknowledge that times have changed.

“For ten years, we’ve celebrated that DIY is in our DNA and we’re definitely not forgetting about that.”

She says DIY is still very much a way of life for many New Zealanders, however the company recognises attitudes and home improvement behaviours have shifted.

“There’s more technology, more demand on our time, an increasing number of renters and ‘new’ Kiwis who aren’t so familiar with New Zealand’s DIY heritage, plus those people who would quite simply prefer to work with a tradesperson. All of these factors are bringing a variety of different needs, changing the market and so we felt the time was right to evolve our brand mission accordingly. It marks a fond farewell from the iconic ‘DIY it’s in our DNA’ catchphrase.”

The ad features Mitre 10 employee Lucy West from Mitre 10 Mega Papanui.

Lloyd-Jones says including a member of the team in the ad gives an authentic representation of the type of service offered in store.

“Mitre 10 makes it easy for Kiwis to bring their home improvement ideas to life. We act as a sounding board, empowering our customers and giving them confidence when needed. They bring their ideas, and we provide the solutions.”

James Mok, FCB’s chief creative officer, says Mitre 10 is one of New Zealand’s most loved brands. 

‘We’ve had a long history of producing category leading work, from featuring Billy T James and Lynn of Tawa in the 80s to Sandpit 10 years ago. They’ve been a touchstone for Kiwi culture, and Kong is the next piece of brand storytelling to help Mitre 10 maintain its brand and market leadership.”

One of the last big brand campaigns from Mitre 10 was the ‘Sandpit’ ad which has remained popular over the years, including being the ad of choice of outgoing Sky chief executive John Fellet at the recent ThinkTV launch.

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