Client

Electricity Authority | Te Mana Hiko

Work

Social Media Campaign Strategy and Design (YouTube, TikTok, Google Display Network), Branding, Illustration, Animation, Copywriting

Brief

When winter arrives, power bills get higher each year. The Electricity Authority | Te Mana Hiko (EA) wanted to help by telling NZ consumers about Time-of-Use (TOU) plans. What are they? And why do they matter? Switching to an off-peak plan and using power at the right time not only benefits consumers, but reduces the stress on the country’s infrastructure. Wonderlab’s recently completed consumer-facing brand extension for the EA was put to work.

A classic black alarm clock showing 5:36 is partially covered by a Electricity Authority yellow consumer cartoon character peeking from behind, with a curious facial expression. The clock face is highlighted in green.
A laptop displays The New Zealand Herald website, featuring news headlines on the left and a blue advertisement on the right showing a yellow hand holding a large wall clock with the text "Ease your load NZ!.
A yellow vintage radio is shown with sound lines, next to a simple cartoon character with a worried expression, both set against a bright yellow background.
A set of Electricity Authority digital banners shows a yellow cartoon dog on a blue or yellow brick wall above a clock face, with the words "Ease your load NZ!" in white text. Each banner has a slightly different layout and size.
Two smartphones display TikTok Electricity Authority videos. One shows an electric vehicle charging, and the other shows a washing machine in use. Both screens feature a yellow cartoon character and white text on a blue background.
A TV screen displays a TVNZ+ streaming app with a blue and yellow ad saying "Go off-peak power!" from the Electricity Authority of New Zealand. A person holds a remote, preparing to select content.
A 3x3 grid of colorful illustrations with cartoon characters and text promoting the Electricity Authority off-peak power use, savings, electric vehicle charging, and smarter energy routines, with clocks and power-related visuals.
A social post Electricity Authority advert of a washing machine with clothes spinning inside, next to bold white text saying "Ease the load NZ!" A relaxed, cartoon yellow bean character is resting on the machine door. The background is light blue.
A hand holds a smartphone showing “HEATING ON” at 11:00 am. The image includes the text “Same power, smarter time” and a blue cartoon character in a hard hat on the right side.
A collage of graphics features a cartoon yellow character promoting off-peak power use, showing a clock, a finger pressing a "delay" button, a hand plugging in a device, and reminders to save power and money by using off-peak times.
A smartphone displays a news website with a headline about an MP, surrounded by cards featuring illustrations of a yellow character promoting power-saving tips and an image of an electric vehicle charging.
Three smartphones display the Electricity Authority energy-saving ads featuring a yellow cartoon character. Messages include "Turn routines into savings," "Same power, smarter time," and "Shift your habits. Shrink your bill.
A yellow cartoon character stands next to a large black alarm clock showing 11:55, with the text "Got an off-peak power plan?" on a blue background.
The objectives

Tell as many people as possible to "Go Off-Peak Power!"

The goal

You have two seconds!

Social media public awareness campaigns are all about the time: The initial time you have to grab attention, and the total viewership time at the very end of the day. Our key strategy was to generate a mass of quality, diverse creative with multiple on-target messages. These would grab within the two second frame and keeping viewers watching to the end.

The process

You need a plan:

Wonderlab created strategic campaign pillars so that the client’s core needs were met in a creative and accurate way.
We used simple animated characters to provide visual interest and movement that was cost effective and efficient in a tight time frame.
We instigated clever media buying to maximise spend to reach the key audiences.

The deliverables

You have lift off!

A staged social media roll-out over three months, with each phase highlighting a key message pillar.

12 different message types… resulting in the need for 110+ different advert sizes and types… resulting in the need of over 1000 separate animated frames.

Outcome

A wealth of cost-effective creative with a cohesive look and targeted messaging.

All Digital Platforms:
24 million impressions

Split across Google Display Network (GDN), Youtube, and TikTok, the campaign demonstrated a well-balanced strategy that effectively utilised the strengths of each platform to reach and engage the target market. GDN achieved awareness, YouTube achieved engagement, and TikTok achieved efficient traffic acquisition, all combined proved a strong example of channel synergy.

Local Media Publishers:
6.5 million impressions

Partnering with trusted NZ publishers and broadcasters (TVNZ, Stuff, and NZME) delivered credibility, brand safety, and local relevance. The message benefitted from premium environments with high audience attention, achieving mass reach that complemented digital platforms and reinforced campaign impact.

Youtube:
2.3 million views + a completion rate of  +52%

The YouTube campaign excelled at deep engagement—it was able to hold attention and convey brand messaging effectively. The creative design exceeded the 30% industry expectation for completed views whilst keeping a very efficient cost per view of $0.021.