“A tough ute deserved a campaign with character.”

The Challenge

Mechanic came to us with a brilliant creative platform for the JAC T9 Ute:
The Ultimate Tradie.

The opportunity was to take that idea and build a character and content world around it one that could showcase the T9’s capability without falling into the usual category sea of sameness.

Our role was to help shape the creative for digital, develop the character and produce a suite of films and stills that could work hard across multiple channels.

“They say his nail gun doesn’t jam… it just politely asks for a rest.”

The Idea

Mechanic created the core concept and sharp VO. We helped turn The Ultimate Tradie into someone you could actually believe existed.

Larger than life. Completely straight-faced. Effortlessly good at everything.

We put him into recognisably Kiwi situations across Auckland, with the JAC T9 alongside him every step of the way.

The idea allowed us to demonstrate what the ute could do without simply listing features making capability entertaining, memorable and distinctly New Zealand.

What We Did

Working closely with Mechanic and our production partner, we developed the character and translated the idea from script to screen.

We shaped the content strategy, planned how the campaign could live across digital and social, and produced a suite of films and stills designed to give the idea plenty of mileage beyond the hero film.

One idea. Multiple stories. Plenty of personality.

The Outcome

A campaign we’re so proud of. One that feels confident, distinctly New Zealand, and packed with personality. Mechanic’s idea landed perfectly, the character came to life, and the JAC T9 got exactly the showcase it deserved: useful, tough, and ready for anything a real tradie can throw at it.

Film