Former All Black John Kirwan scores for DraftFCB

Former All Black John Kirwan has helped New Zealand advertising agency Draft FCB win gold in China.

The agency won top honours in the direct marketing category of the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards for their The Journal campaign for the Ministry of Health.

The agency created The Journal as an online tool on the depression.org.nz website aimed at managing mild to moderate depression.

The Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards in Shanghai are regarded as Asia Pacific’s most prestigious awards for advertising effectiveness.

The award adds to others DraftFCB has won for The Journal, including various awards in 2011 at the Effies, the RSVP Grand Prix Award and the Supreme Nexus Award.

DraftFCB managing director Brian van den Hurk says it is great to see a campaign fronted by Kirwan recognised for its effectiveness across the Asia-Pacific.

It follows a longstanding relationship between the agency and the former player.

“The original concept for The Journal has been developed over a number of years,” van den Hurk told NBR ONLINE.

“The main driver has been the high number of people who have depression won’t see a doctor.

"The main premise is to get them to use the online technology and use support services,” he said.

“The relationship with John Kirwan goes back 10 years. He was involved in the original campaign to reduce stigma for those with depression.

"In further discussions with him, we saw the opportunity for a self-management programme and we built a programme from that.”

In its first year, more than 13,000 New Zealanders experiencing depression were actively using the Journal.

Almost 500,000 have visited the site, with more than  1000 visits a day.

Mr van den Hurk says the effectiveness of the campaign has exceeded expectations.

“More than 75% who went through the programme had significant rates of reduction. One reason for the accolades is the campaign’s impact on people’s health,” he said.

Other New Zealand winners at the AME Awards include Colenso BBDO, which took a gold in the Best Ideas category for its Mountain Dew Pinball Skateboard advertisement for Pepsico International Frucor Beverages NZ.

Colenso BBDO also won silver in the Best Sustained Success category for How V Went From Great to Extraordinary for Frucor Beverages NZ.

DDB Auckland won bronze for Walking on Air for the New Zealand Lotteries Commission.