Wigs, Wrestling, and Why New Zealand Brands Should Embrace Their Inner Character
About six weeks ago, I fell down a YouTube hole. It started, innocently enough, with a clip of 1980s pro wrestling. Pile drivers, greasy mullets, fabulous costumes. But what got me wasn’t the ring action. It was the branding.
Each wrestler had a backstory, a persona, and yes, their own slogan. Randy Savage wasn’t just elbow-dropping opponents, he was selling intensity. The Ultimate Warrior didn’t just run into the ring, he was *emotion*. Mad, neon, chaotic emotion. These people felt like walking, talking campaigns.
So here’s the question. Where are the big characters in Kiwi branding? Too often, we drift toward minimalism and moderation. A palette of nice ideas. But charisma wins hearts. There’s a reason people still buy Old Spice and remember the Tui ads—because they crackled with conviction. They weren’t scared of being *too much.*
Brands need to stop editing out their personality. Nail one adjective and run with it. Write like an overcaffeinated poet. Let your brand be someone weird at the party. Do it properly, with clarity and consistency, and customers won’t just buy, they’ll belong. Even when they don’t know why they’re still watching a barefoot guy pull a tyre through a paddock. That’s the point. Be unforgettable.
Each wrestler had a backstory, a persona, and yes, their own slogan. Randy Savage wasn’t just elbow-dropping opponents, he was selling intensity. The Ultimate Warrior didn’t just run into the ring, he was *emotion*. Mad, neon, chaotic emotion. These people felt like walking, talking campaigns.
So here’s the question. Where are the big characters in Kiwi branding? Too often, we drift toward minimalism and moderation. A palette of nice ideas. But charisma wins hearts. There’s a reason people still buy Old Spice and remember the Tui ads—because they crackled with conviction. They weren’t scared of being *too much.*
Brands need to stop editing out their personality. Nail one adjective and run with it. Write like an overcaffeinated poet. Let your brand be someone weird at the party. Do it properly, with clarity and consistency, and customers won’t just buy, they’ll belong. Even when they don’t know why they’re still watching a barefoot guy pull a tyre through a paddock. That’s the point. Be unforgettable.