2016 marked the 10th anniversary of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as an official language. Celebrating the 10th NZSL Week presented an opportunity to ‘up the ante’. Deaf Aotearoa wanted the year’s NZSL Week to reach a wider audience and have the most recall – for Deaf and hearing. Deaf Aotearoa wanted to do this by creating something different and making more use of digital media to reach more people.
Previous years' campaigns had been successful, based on an empathetic approach to the messaging – but the response had plateaued over time. The Deaf community wanted and needed something new, a campaign they could advocate, be part of, and cherish. The answer was to ensure that the campaign achieved that for all New Zealanders – beginning a natural, heart-felt conversation.
