Willis Lane
Revitalising the golden mile
Willis Lane reimagines Wellington’s historic underground walkways into a subterranean epicentre of late-night revelry. Precinct Properties, in partnership with Izzard Design and Funlab, have transformed an old, tired space into a new series of weaving tunnels and vaulted brick archways filled with eclectic food vendors, open dining spaces and thrilling entertainment. Something unlike anything Wellington has seen before. As Willis Lane’s full-service creative and marketing partner Werk spent two years developing and launching Willis Lane to significant fanfare – including branding, signage and wayfinding design, communications strategy, PR and media, web design, influencer activations, content production, traditional media buying and digital advertising. You name it, we've been across it.
A launch that exceeded expectations
The unveiling of Willis Lane had Wellingtonians fizzing, and Werk were right at the heart of it. Our PR strategy garnered a significant number of earned media placements, sparking a buzz that echoed throughout the capital and beyond. A particular highlight included organising the exclusive pre-launch event, which hosted over 900+ guests, including some of NZ’s biggest names: politicians, media personalities, business leaders, sports stars and social media influencers. The following day, as Willis Lane finally opened to the public, hundreds of people lined up and waited eagerly to be the first ones through the door. With 40,000 people visiting Willis Lane in the first week alone, the only complaint (from customers and vendors alike) was that it’s too busy. A good problem to have, we say.
40,000
Visitors in first week of opening
98,000
Unique website users in first 4 months
2.6 million
Digital ad impressions in first 4 months
96.07%
Engagement rate on Instagram
Strategy & Results
We developed our multichannel marketing strategy around a diverse range of customer personas; from families to office workers seeking lunch, after-work entertainers and out-of-towners wanting to discover the best hidden gems Wellington has to offer. We identified key billboard sites, radio stations, and public transport placements for a compelling above-the-line campaign. We leveraged Facebook and Instagram for a targeted and segmented digital advertising campaign, generating millions of impressions and hundreds of comments as people tagged their friends and left positive reviews of their Willis Lane experience. Each channel served a unique purpose, yet integrated seamlessly into a wide-reaching campaign that built hype before launch and compelled action once the doors were flung open to Wellingtonians.
Precinct Properties
