Chorus targets late fibre adopters with new UFB ad campaign

Keeping up with the Jones's broadband? A still from Chorus' new "bad net" campaign. Image / Supplied

Now that close to 60 per cent of us have signed up for Ultrafast Broadband (UFB) fibre, Chorus has launched a new ad campaign that switches tack to target late-adopters.

"They are a notoriously hard audience to engage with on technology, feeling more comfortable in the adoption only when a product has gone mainstream," Chorus' head of marketing Karren Harker said.

"Our latest campaign is focused on tapping into this mindset by positioning fibre as the new normal and demonstrating the everyday benefits to build desire for those last adopters to convert."

One clip in the campaign plays on the fear of falling behind the mainstream. In one of several "bad net" scenarios, it features the familiar pandemic sight of a man working from home, on a multiperson conference call.

He looks like a Minecraft character. The other three look fine.

"If your workmates aren't seeing the best version of you, it could be that you have 'bad net'," a voiceover says.

"Bad net" is a convenient catch-all that could cover not just old copper lines, but rival fixed-wireless technologies from Vodafone, Spark and 2degrees too.

The UFB might have just clocked the milestone of 1 million homes and businesses connected, but the mobile network players have now signed around 200,000 punters to "fixed-wireless" plans that can be used as a landline substitute, cutting Chorus out of the physical and financial loop.

Chorus says fibre will always be better, especially at peak times. The mobile players say fixed-wireless is already a good solution for many, and that it will get faster and more capable with 5G.

The "bad net" campaign was produced by Sweetshop for Saatchi & Saatchi NZ.

It launched on Sunday and will run across TV, online video, out-of-home, radio, digital and social.