Quick insight: Sealord is encouraging New Zealanders to stop hiding their love of fish with a humorous new campaign that tackles the social stigma of eating seafood head-on.
Turning 'Fishame' Into A Brand Platform
Created by Motion Sickness, We Love Fish introduces the idea of "fishame"—the awkward feeling some people experience when eating fish because of its smell, mess or frozen format.
Rather than ignoring these perceptions, the campaign embraces them with humor, transforming a relatable consumer insight into a memorable creative platform.
The objective is simple: encourage New Zealanders to enjoy fish confidently instead of feeling the need to hide it.
A Skipper On A Mission
The hero film, The Manifishto, follows a seasoned skipper determined to rid the country of fishame once and for all.
Throughout the story, he encounters people secretly eating fish in everyday situations—from someone hiding an open tuna tin on a bus to an employee feeling guilty after reheating fish in the office microwave, and even a child questioning a hoki fillet at dinner.
His message is clear: stop hiding and celebrate your love of fish with pride.
Built Around A Human Insight
Instead of focusing solely on product benefits, Sealord builds the campaign around an emotional barrier that many seafood lovers recognize.
By acknowledging the small moments of embarrassment people experience, the brand makes seafood feel more approachable while positioning itself as an ally rather than simply a food manufacturer.
The result is a campaign that feels authentic, entertaining and highly relatable.
Why This Campaign Works
- Transforms an everyday behavior into a distinctive brand platform.
- Uses humor to remove emotional barriers around the product.
- Creates a memorable new word that people can easily share.
- Builds emotional relevance beyond product features.
- Maintains consistency across TV, digital, social and out-of-home media.
Key Takeaways For Marketers
- The best campaigns often begin with a relatable human truth.
- Humor can make uncomfortable topics easier to discuss.
- Creating new language helps campaigns become culturally memorable.
- Brand platforms are stronger when they extend naturally across multiple channels.
- Emotional relevance often outperforms product-led messaging.
Final Thought
With We Love Fish, Sealord proves that even small, everyday behaviors can inspire big creative ideas.
By reframing embarrassment as something to laugh about rather than avoid, the campaign gives consumers permission to enjoy fish proudly while reinforcing Sealord's place as the brand championing seafood across New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a new brand platform that encourages New Zealanders to embrace eating fish proudly by challenging the social stigma around seafood.
'Fishame' refers to the embarrassment or guilt some people feel about eating fish because of its smell, mess or frozen format.
The campaign was developed by creative agency Motion Sickness and directed by Damien Shatford through The Sweetshop.
The campaign is rolling out across television, digital, social media and out-of-home channels throughout New Zealand.
It transforms a relatable consumer behavior into a memorable brand platform using humor, storytelling and cultural insight.
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