Client: Shout
Brand: Billie (by Edgewell)
Industry: Beauty
Campaign: Billie at OWeek
Locations: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin
Duration: 9 February – 4 March

The Objective

To support the launch of Billie's new razor product, Edgewell partnered with Destro and Shout to create a high-impact sampling campaign targeting female university students during Orientation Week across New Zealand.

Orientation Week presents a rare opportunity to engage thousands of students during a high-energy period on campus, making it the perfect moment to introduce Billie to a new generation of consumers.

The goal of the campaign was to:

• Build strong brand awareness among Gen Z consumers.
• Distribute 27,000 product samples across three universities.
• Encourage future retail purchases through the first product trial.

The Challenge

Executing a campaign across multiple university campuses required careful planning and local expertise.

Key challenges included:

• Securing high-traffic activation sites across three universities
• Working with a simple activation setup (3x3 gazebo and trestle table) without relying on large-scale installations
• Recruiting a young, energetic team capable of authentically engaging with student audiences
• Managing extremely high demand, with product distribution occurring faster than anticipated

At the University of Auckland activation, demand for samples was so high that the team quickly ran out of product, requiring a rapid adjustment to maintain engagement with students.

Our Approach

Destro leveraged its strong relationships with universities across New Zealand to secure prime campus locations and ensure smooth coordination with campus partners.

To maximise the impact of a simple setup, the campaign focused on high-quality brand ambassadors and strong product knowledge.

Destro provided:

• 6 trained Brand Ambassadors across the three cities
• Detailed product and campaign briefings prior to each activation
• Teams selected specifically for their ability to connect with student audiences
• Real-time communication to manage on-the-ground logistics

When product supplies ran low in Auckland, the team pivoted quickly, continuing to educate students on Billie's key benefits and brand story to maintain strong engagement despite limited stock.

Execution

Across Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, Orientation Week brought thousands of students onto campus each day.

Despite unpredictable weather conditions, the activation consistently drew strong crowds. The Destro team created an energetic presence, actively engaging students, introducing the Billie brand, and distributing samples at speed.

The approachable setup, combined with the magnetic energy of the Brand Ambassador team, ensured students stopped, engaged, and learned about the product.

Results

The campaign successfully introduced Billie to thousands of students across New Zealand's major university campuses.

Campaign Highlights

• 2,700 product samples distributed
• 6 Destro Brand Ambassadors deployed
• 3 university campuses activated
• An estimated 70,000 students were present across the orientation events
• 12,000+ social media views from Destro's campaign coverage

The high demand for samples and strong student engagement demonstrated the campaign's success in generating brand awareness and product trial within the target demographic.

The client was extremely pleased with the outcome and the energy delivered by the Destro team throughout the activation.

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