Countdown has brought the aroma of delicious Hawkes Bay peaches to bus stops in Auckland’s Britomart and Wellington’s Oriental Parade this week, taking commuters on a sensory journey to celebrate summer stone fruit in stores now.
The bus stops bring Rob Nichol’s Napier peach orchard to life, with a leafy canopy, peach-scented panels, and on the first day commuters will also be treated to some delicious peaches from fruit-laden trees.
Jo Rose, Countdown’s General Manager Marketing, said the bus stops were a way to show and tell customers about summer peaches, but also to tantalise their taste buds during the usually mundane wait for the bus.
“Countdown has direct relationships with local growers right around the country which means we can give our customers fantastic fresh fruit direct from the orchard. We wanted our customers to experience what our buyers do every day - the sights and smells of a peach orchard with delicious produce straight from the tree.
“In the city these days most of us are disconnected from the people who grow and care for our food, and where it comes from. At Countdown we want to change this, and bring Rob and his peaches to the forefront,” said Rose.
Over the last year, Countdown has been working closely with M&C Saatchi to tell its Grower Fresh story which highlights the relationships between Countdown’s buyers and local growers.
Paul Hankinson, Executive Creative Director of M&C Greenhouse NZ said this activation is another step to help show customers where the produce at the supermarket actually comes from, and the faces behind the fruit.
“Countdown are really proud of the direct relationships they've built with their growers. We wanted to dramatise that and at the same time, demonstrate the benefits of Grower Fresh in terms of freshness, taste and quality.”
Ben Gibb from oOh!media said it’s a challenge we welcome; taking a great creative idea on paper and translating it into the real thing on the street.
“We’re super proud of this project and the impact this has had already. It's been amazing to capture the reactions of commuters.”
The billboards go live on 3 February and will stay up until 17 February.
