In late 2023, Aotearoa New Zealand faced a controversial political moment with the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill, seen by many as an attack on Māori indigenous rights.
As a campaigning company since its inception in 1995, Lush felt compelled to respond. Lush partnered with local Māori grassroots activist group ActionStation to amplify their work and launch the “Together for Te Tiriti” soap, a visually bold product designed to get people talking, with 100% of profits donated to ActionStation.
The challenge was for us to communicate Lush’s stance to stand in solidarity with Māori and join the fight to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) authentically. We needed to navigate a sensitive political landscape, avoid any accusations of profiting from the cause, and gain media cut-through – all without having owned social media channels.
Our strategy was to establish Lush as a committed ally to Māori justice. We emphasised Lush’s ‘right to play’ in the space, highlighting that they have been actively campaigning for human rights since 1995.
Māori voices were also spotlighted at every step. We engaged proud Māori activist and Lush’s very own Activism and Advocacy Executive, Jessielee Pearce, as a key spokesperson for the campaign. We collaborated with trusted content creators already active in the movement and executed a strategic earned media campaign. Lush stores became safe spaces to sign ActionStation’s petition, giving New Zealanders a simple, accessible way to show their support.
The campaign successfully positioned Lush as a credible campaigning brand, generating significant support for the cause and tangible results.
Driving Real Impact: The campaign raised over $12,000 for ActionStation and secured nearly 1,000 petition signatures in-store. The “Together for Te Tiriti” soap sold 4x more than any other Lush soap and sold out online multiple times.
Massive Media & Social Reach: We secured 100% positive media coverage, reaching over 4.6 million Kiwis. On social media, creator content reached an additional 2.9 million people, sparking a loyal and vocal fanbase for Lush based on shared values.
Authentic Engagement: The campaign was praised for its authenticity, with comments flooding social media like, “Time to support Lush” and “Showing the rest of Aotearoa businesses how they should be moving!!!”.
