FCB New Zealand and Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) have launched an anti-litter campaign, fronted by a new kind of Mother Nature – a no-nonsense Kiwi character known as ‘Mama Nature’.

‘Mama Nature’ was developed to get Kiwis to wake their ideas up about littering and start lifting their game. She’s still all about loving the planet and keeping New Zealand “Be-yooo-diful” but years of cleaning up after everyone has seen an end to her unconditional love.

Unleashing the odd dose of natural-disaster onto litterers? Yeah, ‘Mama Nature’ can do that.

FCB New Zealand’s executive creative director, Tony Clewett, commented on the creation of the ‘Mama Nature’ character, “How do you simultaneously look to change someone’s behaviour while getting them to love you? Easy – like this. And it was bloody fun to make too.”

This will be the first major above-the-line campaign for Keep New Zealand Beautiful since their iconic ‘Do the Right Thing’ and ‘Be A Tidy Kiwi’ campaigns, which ran in the 1980s and 1990s.

David Thomason, chief brand officer at FCB New Zealand said, “The media environment has changed a little since 1993’s ‘Do the right thing’.

“FCB approached this more like we were creating a meme than an ad. It needed to be distinctive, fun and provocative, and work brilliantly in short video and stills. We hope Mama Nature and her catch-phrase will be shared, mimicked and parodied.”

KNZB CEO Heather Saunderson said the organisation will be undertaking more work to reach a holistic view of the country’s litter problem.

“The next stage of our litter prevention project will involve us partnering with Stats NZ to launch a national litter audit, physically inspecting litter in areas such as motorways, rest stops, residential streets, beaches, rural and industrial locations.”

Launched on 4 April, the campaign is fronted by a 30-second TVC combined with a series of six-second online bumper ads and an out-of-home campaign.