Auckland Agency Wins Gold at Cannes for Campaign Promoting QR Code Usage on Bus Stop Pigeons
AUCKLAND, NZ – In a triumph for innovation, grit, and questionable practicality, local agency BrandShovel has scooped a Gold Lion at Cannes for its latest integrated campaign: 'Peck Here to Learn More.'
The campaign, commissioned by the Council’s Public Engagement & Ornithology Department, saw over 300 city pigeons fitted with tiny, biodegradable QR codes on their backs. The idea was to re-engage bus commuters with council transport updates via the birds, which were trained to loiter near high-traffic stops during peak hours. QR codes redirected users to an animated video explainer narrated by a pigeon named Kev.
“People are tired of ad clutter,” said BrandShovel’s Innovation Strategist Chelsea N. Vibes. “So we cluttered nature instead.” The pigeons’ training took place over seven weeks, with food rewards, sensitisation drills, and a brief TikTok dance component that was scrapped after internal backlash from the agency’s UX team. “It got weird,” confirmed one junior creative on condition of anonymity.
Critics have questioned the ethical implications of turning birds into mobile billboards, but the agency maintains the pigeons were ‘as into it as we were.’ CEO Matt Pryne added, "One even pooped on a transit planner. You can't buy that level of interactivity."
BrandShovel is now eyeing expansion into QR-coded ferrets for mall events, pending legal approval and a decent sponsor. Talks with Bunnings are underway.
The campaign, commissioned by the Council’s Public Engagement & Ornithology Department, saw over 300 city pigeons fitted with tiny, biodegradable QR codes on their backs. The idea was to re-engage bus commuters with council transport updates via the birds, which were trained to loiter near high-traffic stops during peak hours. QR codes redirected users to an animated video explainer narrated by a pigeon named Kev.
“People are tired of ad clutter,” said BrandShovel’s Innovation Strategist Chelsea N. Vibes. “So we cluttered nature instead.” The pigeons’ training took place over seven weeks, with food rewards, sensitisation drills, and a brief TikTok dance component that was scrapped after internal backlash from the agency’s UX team. “It got weird,” confirmed one junior creative on condition of anonymity.
Critics have questioned the ethical implications of turning birds into mobile billboards, but the agency maintains the pigeons were ‘as into it as we were.’ CEO Matt Pryne added, "One even pooped on a transit planner. You can't buy that level of interactivity."
BrandShovel is now eyeing expansion into QR-coded ferrets for mall events, pending legal approval and a decent sponsor. Talks with Bunnings are underway.