NZ Human Rights Commission - Racism is No Joke
The brief was to tackle casual racism in New Zealand during COVID. The expected approach was serious, confrontational, educational — tell people they're wrong and hope they listen. We said no. Instead of lecturing, we used humour to hold up a mirror. The best behaviour change campaigns don't feel like campaigns — they feel like a conversation with a mate who cares enough to tell you the truth.
Thinking
The campaign flips the "it's just a joke" defence on its head. When humour is weaponised as a shield for racism, the response is to subvert that shield itself. We recognised that fighting casual racism required more than condemnation - it needed to dismantle the social dynamics that make racist jokes "acceptable." Partnering with Asian comedian James Roque brought authenticity and credibility to the message. Who better to call out racist "humour" than someone who understands the power of real comedy?
Results
7.93M post reach
Created a viral vocabulary for calling out racist "humour"
Transformed passive disapproval into active response
Sparked nationwide conversations about casual racism
What This Teaches Us
The most effective behaviour change comes not from adding new arguments, but from dismantling existing defences. By combining authentic voices, natural language, and strategic subversion, we gave people permission and power to call out casual racism for what it really is.