Vodafone NZ readies for rebrand to One New Zealand with new campaign
Vodafone New Zealand has kicked off an ad campaign promoting its rebrand to One New Zealand, which will take effect in early 2023.
The 'One Awesome Summer' campaign nods to the rebrand, which includes the new name and logo and follows the change of ownership from Vodafone Group to new owners Infratil and Brookfield, which bought the business in 2019.
The rebrand aims to "better reflect" the company's "deep connections and legacy in New Zealand, as well as our future ambitions", according to Vodafone New Zealand CEO Jason Paris.
"This is much more than just a name change; it is the icing on the cake. Three years ago, we moved from global to local to focus 100% on New Zealand, and since then we have been laying the foundations to serve Aotearoa long into the future. Now, it is time to take the next step. To become One New Zealand. One team of over 3,000 employees, with one focus on one country and on one goal, to unlock the magic of technology to create an awesome Aotearoa."
It marks the end of an era for the Vodafone brand, which launched in New Zealand in 1998 after the London-based company acquired NZ telco Bell South. The sale included Bell South's 138,000 customers and a GSM network, which Vodafone swiftly rolled out across the country.
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Vodafone's innovative brand quickly began to take customers and market share from the incumbent telecommunications company Telecom New Zealand (now rebranded as Spark), becoming the country's largest wireless carrier.
Vodafone expanded to offer full-service telecommunications, acquiring ISP's ihug in 2006 and Telstra Clear in 2012 and becoming the second largest Internet service provider in NZ.
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In 2019, Vodafone Group sold the company for $3.4 bn to NZ infrastructure company Infratil and Canadian company Brookfield Asset Management. The partner market deal included the use of the Vodafone brand, roaming agreements, access to Vodafone's global IoT platforms and a range of business and consumer services.
As of March 2022, Vodafone has 2.4 million customers and a 38% share of the mobile market, placing it second behind market leader Spark, which holds 41%. Two Degrees Mobile is third with 19%.
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Jason Paris, Vodafone New Zealand CEO, said the change is the logical next step in the company's transformation. "We are proud to announce this decision to change our name. This move means we will have even more money to invest into our networks, onshore service, and technology solutions for our customers in New Zealand. We think One New Zealand better reflects our deep connections and legacy in New Zealand, as well as our future ambitions."
The 'One Awesome Summer' campaign was created by DDB Aotearoa with media by FCB.