Kiwibank has launched a new brand campaign featuring an unlikely banking ambassador: a green-wooled sheep named Buck who refuses to follow the flock.
The campaign, titled “Bank Kiwi,” marks the next evolution of Kiwibank’s brand platform and customer movement as the bank approaches its 25th anniversary.
At the centre of the campaign is Buck, a curious and optimistic sheep whose distinctive green wool symbolises a willingness to do things differently.
The character represents Kiwibank’s belief that progress often begins when people challenge established norms rather than simply accepting the status quo.
Simon Hofmann, General Manager of Brand and Marketing at Kiwibank, said the campaign combines the bank’s purpose with a call for New Zealanders to choose a bank focused on making Kiwis better off.
“Bank Kiwi brings together what Kiwibank stands for with what we’re asking New Zealanders to do: choose a bank that’s committed to making Kiwis better off,” Hofmann said.
“Buck captures that spirit perfectly. She’s a reminder that progress often starts when someone chooses a different path.”
The platform is built around Kiwibank’s view that banking in New Zealand frequently benefits the system more than customers.
According to the bank, New Zealand households and businesses could be missing out on an estimated $500 million in interest annually by failing to meet the conditions attached to some savings accounts.
Buck’s story is designed to resonate with New Zealanders who have chosen their own path, backed themselves, or sought better outcomes through different choices.
Through the character, Kiwibank hopes to highlight its commitment to helping customers improve their financial wellbeing.
The campaign also showcases local creative talent. Auckland-based visual effects studio Fathom VFX spent several months developing Buck using advanced CGI technology.
More than four million individual strands of wool were created to produce the character’s signature green coat.
Kiwibank said the project reflects its ongoing commitment to investing in New Zealand’s creative industries.
While acknowledging that automation and artificial intelligence may play a role in future initiatives, the bank said the campaign was built around a distinctly human and local approach, drawing on New Zealand agencies, voice artists, musicians and production partners.
Erica Beagley, Kiwibank’s Head of Brand, said the response to Buck had already exceeded expectations, with people requesting merchandise, asking for more details about the character’s backstory and even suggesting she deserved her own film.
Representatives of the agency collective behind the campaign said “Bank Kiwi” was designed to make Kiwibank’s founding purpose more tangible and emotionally engaging for customers.
Director Jamie Lawrence, who worked on the project, said Buck’s story reflected themes of individuality and self-belief.
“What started as a brief about a green sheep became a story about individuality, ambition, and believing there’s a better way forward,” Lawrence said.
The campaign launches nationwide across multiple channels as Kiwibank continues to position itself as a challenger brand focused on delivering better outcomes for New Zealand customers and communities.