The warmth of Auckland showcased through food in new winter campaign

Auckland’s food stories have been brought to life in a new campaign which encourages domestic travellers to experience and discover the region’s diverse culinary offering during winter.

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) has once again enlisted the star talents of Sir John Kirwan, this time to front the ‘Made for Winter’ campaign, which kicks off today, and runs through until August.

Kirwan features in six videos shot throughout the Auckland region which show him meeting some of the local food heroes making their mark on the culinary scene.

ATEED Head of Tourism, Steffan Panoho says the campaign highlights how rich and diverse Auckland’s food and beverage offering is.

“With Matariki and Restaurant Month just around the corner we want to show domestic visitors that Auckland is a great place for a winter getaway. There’s no point hibernating when there’s so much to eat, see, and do here,” he says.

“Sir John Kirwan has done a fantastic job bringing to life the stories behind Auckland’s markets, craft beer and wine scene, world-class chefs, and the influence Māori and Pacific culture has on food here.”

A self-proclaimed foodie, Kirwan says it has been a privilege to explore Auckland as a food destination.

“I always knew that we had incredible food here, but it wasn’t until I went behind the scenes to meet the people who make some of Auckland’s best restaurants and markets tick that I really understood how passionate Aucklanders are about serving up good food,” he says.

“Auckland’s diversity is a real advantage in the food industry here. We have world-class restaurants, artisan food producers, award-winning winemakers and craft brewers that are integrating the flavours and cooking techniques from the melting pot of cultures that live here.

“This creates a fusion of culinary experiences and makes Auckland a great place to visit in winter.”

ATEED has an ongoing role to lead destination marketing activity for Auckland and the ‘Made for Winter’ campaign closely aligns to the recently launched Destination AKL 2025 strategy.

“Some of the key focus areas in the strategy is around reducing seasonality through creating marketing campaigns such as ‘Made for Winter’ which encourage visitors to come to Auckland in the shoulder and low season periods,” says Panoho.

“A strength of Auckland which is often undersold or undervalued is our food and beverage offering, including the diverse array of cuisines, cafés, restaurants, bars and speciality supermarkets.

“Globally, almost one third of a visitor’s total spend is on food and beverage experiences. The food experience offered in a destination is such an important factor in the quality of the experience that visitors have, and something we are keen to amplify under the strategy.”

The six videos will play across TVNZ OnDemand, YouTube and social media, targeting domestic visitors from Wellington, Christchurch, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Northland. The campaign also includes a mix of online banner advertising, a content partnership with Fairfax, and a microsite with all the videos, along with more ideas of what there is to do around the Auckland region.

The campaign also promotes events and aspects of the city on offer during the winter period. These include Auckland Restaurant Month, Matariki Festival – Te Korakora on Federal, arts and culture activity, shopping, along with entertainment and nightlife.

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