Client: DB Breweries
Entry: Tui Hitchhiker Gnome
Category: Consumer Programs

“Tui’ was labeled the ‘student’ beer in the early 1990’s bringing quirkiness and humour to its drinkers. It has become the third largest beer brand in New Zealand.

August Dean Promotions were approached to create a humorous, collectable character that Tui drinkers would want to take ownership of.

What was created was the “Tui Hitchhiker Gnome”, with its distinctly New Zealand identity- with its jandals and location of the brewery on the gnomes sign.

“Tui Hitchhiker Gnome” was distributed at Tui Outlets in Central and Northern regions. They were also sold on-line via the Tui retail shop. The gnome also became a web site competition with people taking photos of their Tui gnomes in a ‘ great position, situation or crafty location’.

The sales increased 10% for Tui over the already wild Christmas / New Year period, which became a huge sales success for DB Breweries.

The client said...

“August Dean delivered us the most perfect unique promotional tool and deserve the most positive feedback, the gnome was instrumental in the overall success of our summer campaign. The gnome is highly original and adds the quirkiness and humour which is appropriate to the message Tui communicates and in the number of gnome photographs posted on the Tui web site reinforced the excitement of ownership of this collectable item”.

Nick Rogers
Marketing Manager – Tui