While targeting Pacific families, we also wanted to resonate with all parents. By showing the anguish of the father, we got New Zealand parents to put themselves in his shoes and feel his pain. For a parent, it’s universal.

At the same time we ran retail ads driving people into New Zealand’s largest retailer to get discounted smoke alarms. The TV commercials were aired before, during, and after programmes that had strong Pacific viewership e.g. Tagata Pacifika and sports like Rugby and Rugby League. They also aired in the early hours of the morning to target shift workers.

The response has been incredible. The ads have resulted in 89% prompted awareness, the highest ever recorded by NZ Fire Service. 60% of people also stated that they had changed their behaviour (regularly testing and checking their alarms) as a result of the ads. And during the promotional periods, sales for smoke alarms at The Warehouse increased by a phenomenal 2156%, yes 2156%.