2020 was a devastating year for the international tourism industry. The pandemic closed international borders and tourism as we know it was put on hold.

With Aotearoa New Zealand the #1 outbound destination for Aussie travellers, we had a very real responsibility to keep travellers connected to the country while international borders remained closed. We also had an adventure starved audience looking for entertainment and adventure.

We marketed the entire country like a game. PLAY NZ is a rich brand experience that gives people playful, interactive content to engage with and a vehicle for New Zealand to deliver disruptive storytelling to a new audience.

Launched with a Twitch live stream, Australian gaming influencer Loserfruit led thousands on a journey through the best of New Zealand, featuring a “gamer walkthrough” where she “played” the country and interacted live.