This three-minute film is a recreation of the original story behind the founding of one of Australia and New Zealand’s most well-known jewellery retailers. It’s an untold story of romance, tragedy and success that is almost unbelievable when you look at the hard sell retailer that Michael Hill Jeweller became. Retelling it in beautiful cinematic and excruciating period detail not only repositioned the brand. It captivated audiences and left them asking for a full-length version to be released on Netflix.

After years of price-discounted retail advertising featuring the company founder, the Michael Hill Jeweller brand had lost all its romance – which is a bit of a problem when you’re selling engagement rings. Our brief was to reposition Michael Hill Jeweller as an aspirational brand that you’d entrust the design of your most treasured piece of jewellery to, not a shop that flogs cheap necklaces. In doing so we hoped to attract a new customer and to increase the value of the average transaction.

Our strategy was to reposition Michael Hill Jeweller as the antidote to mass. Our target audience prefers to shop at bespoke jewellers with an emphasis on quality and craftsmanship. And Michael Hill was the original independent jeweller, from Whangarei, New Zealand. So it made sense to retell the brand’s origin story.

The idea was to retell the true, romantic story behind the Michael Hill Jeweller brand.

A love affair that started in 1964. When Michael met Christine, his muse, his partner and the creative force behind their jewellery business. The 1960s when Michael and Christine fell in love was a vibrant time. The Beatles had just toured New Zealand, Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent were bursting onto the fashion scene and iconic films featuring stars with enduring style dominated culture. The Jewellers, a Michael Hill Film, harks back to those times through the lens of contemporary nostalgia. Completely repositioning the brand for a new audience.

The Michael Hill brand lacked authenticity. It was seen as tired and far from stylish.

So it was important that the aesthetic of the film was as authentic as possible, in the way it was shot, the sophistication of the black and white, the story itself, even the wardrobe.

Starting with the narrative, we worked closely with Sir Michael and Lady Christine Hill. Memorabilia and photographs collected over the years uncovered details right down to the location and time of certain events. The church they married in. The cars they drove. Michael’s first violin. When original locations had been lost through time, we meticulously recreated them by building large scale sets rich in detail of the period, such as the uncle’s store. The Hill’s house ravaged by fire in 1977. Even the fire trucks we used were active in the area at the time of the original fire.

The film was watched 7.6 million times on social in a country of 5 million people, with a staggering 97% of viewers watching to the end. There was an 82% increase in store visits, a 39% increase in bridal sales alone and a ‍16% Increase in average spend. The film was directly responsible for a $36 million increase in profits. The film resonated with audiences globally. YouTuber @scrappinrabbit was not alone in asking “When can we see the full story on Netflix??”

The Michael Hill Jeweller brand had become iconic for the phrase “Michael Hill Jeweller” uttered by company founder Michael Hill at the end of every one of his cut-price retail ads. It was on TV constantly. Kids parodied it in playgrounds. Comedy shows referenced it. No one had any idea that there was a moving love story behind the brand. By retelling it in a landmark short film, we made people reevaluate the brand overnight.