Oppo places Reno13 phones on posters in bold campaign

To launch its new AI-powered Reno13, Oppo sent Kiwis on a scavenger hunt to find five of the phones, secretly placed on street posters across Auckland.

Placing phones worth $1399 out in the open was a bold but beneficial move in what was already a colourful launch campaign, aiming to capture the attention of young creators and increase the mobile phone brand’s relevance in Aotearoa.

YoungShand (YS) was the creative force behind the campaign, which reflects the international platform idea, “Express Yourself.” 

YS first collaborated with seven local NZ street artists: Pepper Raccoon, Gwilym Devey, Robbi Carvalho, Stephen Templer, Margarita Vovna, Decypher (Guy Ellis) and Marcus Watson.

Each artist reinterpreted the Reno13’s distinctive butterfly design, creating an eye-catching series showcased across outdoor, digital and social.

There’s no slogans, lifestyle shots or slick tech photography, just individual visuals with the Reno13 at the centre.

Eduardo Sampaio, Oppo NZ marketing manager, says:  “I love how bold and simple the campaign is. No overthinking, no clutter. Just a clear message that captures the essence of the Reno13 Series without saying a word. We’re also very proud to support local Kiwi creators, who put so much care and craft into their works.”

Bold and simple

Then came time for the scavenger hunt. Oppo placed five Reno13 Pros on its street posters, seeded clues on MaiFM and watched the hunt begin. The phones were gone in minutes.

Corey Chalmers, YS chief creative officer, says:  “Every client loves to see their product front and centre, and these fantastic artworks certainly do that.

“But we didn’t want to stop there. It’s pretty bold to put real, valuable phones on street posters. But Ed and team were up for it – as were the lucky winners who ruthlessly tracked the phones down.

“It was a great fun outdoor campaign. Thank goodness the phones were weatherproof, too,” Chalmers adds.

Read more about the creative insights from three of the local artists involved in the campaign on Idealog.