The digital campaign that rewrote NZ's political playbook

In 2023, the New Zealand National Party bounced back from one of their toughest-ever defeats in just three years, winning the election. Behind this historical win we developed a crafty digital campaign that changed the face of the electoral landscape forever.

Understanding the powerful role that digital media plays in shaping perceptions, especially amongst younger generations, we conceptualised a multi-platform strategy. The focus wasn't just to showcase the National Party or its leader, Christopher Luxon, but also to establish a genuine connection, foster understanding and build trust with the electorate.

Borrowing from the energy of the global TikTok phenomenon, we embarked on a daring journey. Without spending a penny on paid advertising, Chris Luxon and National’s content amassed an astonishing 17 million video views in the three months before the election, beating Labour’s 1.3 million views. The statistic becomes even more compelling when you consider that a whopping 75% of these views originated from the 18-34 demographic.

We understood how important it was to utilise every content format available to them to capitalise on organic reach. This led to the creation of a political game on TikTok, allowing users to engage with the National Party in a new and unique way. Marrying policy with play, the game was titled "Tax Relief Rush" and the first of its kind in the political landscape. Not only did the game receive the endorsement of Luxon himself, but it also engaged voters to the tune of 22,000 gameplays in the campaign's final stretch. By converting political messaging into interactive entertainment, they ensured that their message permeated in a memorable and impactful way.

While TikTok was a central player in the campaign's digital strategy, it wasn't the only one. Facebook emerged as another key platform where National and Luxon's accounts garnered 1.6 million video views, dwarfing their political adversaries. A video-centric approach was embraced, discussing policies and presenting an authentic view of Chris Luxon to the voters.