In 2020/21, Destination Wairarapa needed a way to rebuild domestic tourism after pandemic lockdowns. I helped them devise a strategy of appealing to the sense of neighbourliness that grew in Aotearoa over lockdown. By positioning Wairarapa as "just next door", we helped Wellingtonians feel like they were popping over to help out the neighbours.

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The art style for all the static material also harkened back to elements of nostalgia. That was because of a couple of things—first, the tourist demographic in the Wairarapa skews slightly older. Second, most Wellingtonians have some sort of fond childhood memory of a holiday in the Wairarapa. So, we included elements of Kiwiana nostalgia, such as tourist pennants. 

We delivered this story through a print and digital media campaign. I am still incredibly proud that a team of people, all worried about their jobs, could create great work and support Wairarapa to become one of the only regions in the motu to experience significant tourism growth during that time.