The Power of Subverting Humour
Client: NZ Human Rights Commission
The Problem: Casual racism hiding behind "just joking."
The Solution: Using humour to expose how these "harmless" jokes actually harm.
The Impact: Widespread social conversation about unconscious bias without lecturing or alienating.
The Bigger Picture: The best social change campaigns don't feel like campaigns—they feel like conversations with friends who care 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?
Strategic Approach:
Authentic Voice: James Roque brought both comedic credentials and lived experience, making him an effective messenger to distinguish between actual humour and racist behaviour
Natural Language: Instead of formal anti-racism messaging, we used everyday Kiwi vernacular like "Yeah, nah that's not funny" - giving people accessible ways to call out racism
Social Context: We acknowledged that most racist jokes happen in casual, social settings and designed responses that worked in these moments
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.