Winning government for the National Party with a breakthrough organic TikTok strategy
The digital campaign that rewrote NZ's political playbook
Topham Guerin ran the New Zealand National Party's digital and creative campaign for the 2023 general election, building it around an organic TikTok strategy that reached 17 million views with no paid spend behind the content. National won government and became the most-followed party on the platform in the country. TG delivered National's wider paid digital programme too; this story focuses on the organic TikTok breakthrough.
- Client
- National Party
- Market
- New Zealand
- Year
- 2023
- Sector
- Politics
- Services
- Digital strategy · Social media · Creative · Organic social
- Topics
- Elections · Political campaigning · Social media · TikTok · Youth engagement
In 2023, the New Zealand National Party bounced back from one of their toughest-ever defeats in just three years, winning the election. Behind this historical win we developed a crafty digital campaign that changed the face of the electoral landscape forever.
Understanding the powerful role that digital media plays in shaping perceptions, especially amongst younger generations, we conceptualised a multi-platform strategy. The focus wasn't just to showcase the National Party or its leader, Christopher Luxon, but also to establish a genuine connection, foster understanding and build trust with the electorate.
Borrowing from the energy of the global TikTok phenomenon, we embarked on a daring journey. Without spending a penny on paid advertising, Chris Luxon and National's content amassed an astonishing 17 million video views in the three months before the election, beating Labour's 1.3 million views. The statistic becomes even more compelling when you consider that a whopping 75% of these views originated from the 18-34 demographic.
We understood how important it was to utilise every content format available to them to capitalise on organic reach. This led to the creation of a political game on TikTok, allowing users to engage with the National Party in a new and unique way. Marrying policy with play, the game was titled "Tax Relief Rush" and the first of its kind in the political landscape. Not only did the game receive the endorsement of Luxon himself, but it also engaged voters to the tune of 22,000 gameplays in the campaign's final stretch. By converting political messaging into interactive entertainment, they ensured that their message permeated in a memorable and impactful way.
While TikTok was a central player in the campaign's digital strategy, it wasn't the only one. Facebook emerged as another key platform where National and Luxon's accounts garnered 1.6 million video views, dwarfing their political adversaries. A video-centric approach was embraced, discussing policies and presenting an authentic view of Chris Luxon to the voters.
When the results poured in, the digital footprints of the campaign were undeniable. The New Zealand National Party didn't just reclaim political leadership; they did so with an unprecedented digital vigour. The National Party emerged as the leading political entity on TikTok, amassing 60,000 followers and outperforming all counterparts on the platform.
This was not just a win for the New Zealand National Party but a testimony to the power of digital advertising. It showcased a unique blending of creativity with digital strategy, resonating with voters and presenting political messaging in an innovative and impactful way.
The genius behind this successful campaign lay in the ability to innovate, to reach out, and to communicate in a language the modern voter understands and appreciates. We didn't just write a chapter in New Zealand's political playbook; they set the benchmark for digital electioneering.
There was just a real willingness and openness, I would consider the openness and the way the campaign embraced trends and contemporary themes, and using a platform natively on TikTok, was a sign of pushing the boundaries and being innovative.
Sean Topham · Co-founder, Topham Guerin
Questions & answers
Who ran the National Party's 2023 election digital campaign?
Topham Guerin ran National's digital and creative campaign for the 2023 New Zealand general election: the organic TikTok strategy, Facebook video, the “Tax Relief Rush” game, and paid social across Facebook, Instagram, X and Google.
How many views did the TikTok campaign get?
National and Christopher Luxon's TikTok content reached more than 17 million views in the three months before the 14 October 2023 election, against Labour's 1.3 million.
Did the campaign use paid advertising on TikTok?
No. The 17 million TikTok views were entirely organic. TG separately ran National’s wider paid digital programme across Facebook, Instagram, X and Google Search.
What was the result of the election?
National won the election on 14 October 2023, ending six years of Labour-led government, and Christopher Luxon became Prime Minister.
What made the TikTok strategy work?
Platform-native, lo-fi, trend-led video rather than repurposed TV ads. Around 75% of views came from 18 to 34-year-olds, and National grew to 60,000+ TikTok followers, the largest of any NZ party.
What was "Tax Relief Rush"?
A TikTok-native game TG built to explain National's tax policy, endorsed by Luxon and played about 22,000 times in the campaign's final stretch.