New work from Saatchi & Saatchi NZ makes annual Doc Edge Festival ‘sapiosexy’

Saatchi & Saatchi has launched a new campaign to promote New Zealand’s annual Doc Edge Documentary Festival.

Doc Edge is New Zealand’s Oscar-qualifying international documentary festival, and this year it celebrates its 20 year anniversary.

The campaign includes ‘Sapiosexy, the documentary’, a seven-minute long short that encourages people to watch all that this year’s festival has to offer.

So smart it’s sexy

The short premiered at the festival’s Opening Gala Night on June 26 and follows lead character Jack, who wakes up one day feeling sapiosexy – a term used to describe people who are so smart it’s sexy. The audience learns more about Jack’s condition and its possible link to documentary watching.  

Dan Shanan, Doc Edge co-founder and executive director says, “We challenged Saatchi & Saatchi NZ to come up with a disruptive idea for this year’s festival and to make documentaries sexy… and they did just that. Sapiosexy in fact.”

The documentary was made by Saatchi Studio and directed by Saatchi & Saatchi NZ’s ECD Lee Sunter.

“I had a lot of love for the Sapiosexy idea from our creative talents, Zach Hall and Gina Morgan,” says Sunter. “Once we decided to make a documentary, writer Zach pulled in his comedian friends and I got them to bring their own interpretations to the material, refining as we went. This leads to what you see on screen – equal parts written and adlibbed – which is always an excellent place to be.”

How to become sapiosexy

Beyond the documentary, the wider campaign explores how attending the festival will make you sapiosexy.

Messaging on billboards, street posters, festival guides, social, merch and cinema spots says that ‘you may become sapiosexy at Doc Edge’ – with audio voiced by Neil Waka and fellow festival ambassador and New Zealand broadcaster, Judy Bailey.

Long-term relationship

Of the festival’s relationship with Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, Rachael Penman, general manager & festival producer says, “20 years ago was not just when our festival was born, but also our relationship with Saatchi & Saatchi NZ. They came up with the line we still use today ‘Life Unscripted’. Now 20 years on, and to celebrate this milestone year, it felt natural to rekindle our relationship.”

Doc Edge co-founder and director Alex Lee says, “78 films, 12 immersive projects, four days of industry events and an Oscar-qualifying awards ceremony, Doc Edge is the Asia Pacific centre for all things documentary and the home for storytelling that provides a more nuanced understanding of the world – that’s so Sapiosexy!”