After a two year break, due to Covid-19, the Big Gay Out returned with the support of long term sponsor, One NZ (formerly Vodafone). We were once again engaged to create an activation that showed support for our rainbow whanau. In 2020, our activation was a ball pit branded with Vodafone Red and the phrase “Go balls deep with Vodafone.” This created a little controversy when a member of the NZ Conservative Party complained to the media about our provocative title. One journalist declared the activation ‘vulgar’ prompting hate commentary on social media. Conversely, the activation was supported by the Rainbow Community and voted the second best space in the 2020 Big Gay Out.
For the 2023 activation, we created a rainbow staircase where guests could jump into a colour ball pit and capture a boomerang animated selfie. Individuals were able to share their footage on their personal social accounts and were gifted a ‘One Good Kiwi’ token to donate towards a local charity. Guests were provided with free Wi-Fi and the chance to meet legendary drag queen, Anita Wigl’it. An attraction in her own right, she drew in crowds with her magnetic personality and sense of humour. Her One NZ inspired green outfit created a lasting impression on visitors and in addition to her physical presence, paid social content proved immensely valuable in expanding our online reach.
The activation was a fun and uplifting experience that allowed us to reinforce One NZ’s brand values and their love of the Rainbow Community. Social media reach exceeded 43,000 with 433 One Good Kiwi Tokens counted. There were approximately 66 jumps into the ball pit per hour with more than 500 shares to email or text.
