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ASB Little Ambulance NovaBrix building brick set — fundraising merchandise designed by Novelli for ASB Bank and Hato Hone St John New Zealand

HOW ASB BANK AND HATO HONE ST JOHN RAISED FUNDS - AND PUT AMBULANCES ON THE ROAD - WITH A BUILDING BRICK SET

Novabrix Logo
CLIENT

ASB New Zealand
PROJECT

Design and produce a build-your-own NovaBrix ambulance brick set to help ASB Bank raise funds for Hato Hone St John - a campaign that ran for three consecutive years and funded real ambulances.
WHAT WE DID

We designed and produced the Little Ambulance NovaBrix set

THE ASB BANK AND ST JOHN FUNDRAISING BRIEF

Since 2008, ASB has been a principal sponsor of Hato Hone St John New Zealand, a not-for-profit organisation which provides ambulance services throughout NZ. Being a charitable foundation, fundraising is ‘always-on’ for St John. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t an easy task, with donor fatigue a persistent challenge.  

As an existing business partner for their promotional merchandise,  ASB issued a challenge: find an innovative way to mobilise their large customer base to donate to St John, while maintaining a strong sense of brand ownership for ASB.

This campaign sat at the intersection of fundraising merchandise and social initiative - two areas where Novelli has extensive experience. You can read more about our approach to fundraising merchandise and social and environmental initiatives. 

 

INSIGHTS & DATA

Novelli reviewed their portfolio of promotional options to consider how to engage ASB customers to support St John while ensuring that the branding and commercial needs of ASB continue to be met. ​

We pinpointed two powerful insights to help us:​

  • Young children love the emergency services.
  • The St John Ambulance is an instantly recognisable icon of the community.

Soon ideas were flowing, and the concept of the Little ASB Ambulance was born.

St John New Zealand ambulance - the inspiration for the ASB Little Ambulance NovaBrix brick set

HOW NOVABRIX BROUGHT THE LITTLE AMBULANCE TO LIFE

Novelli designed and produced a build-your-own brick version of the St John ambulance using our own NovaBrix brand. Families — kids and adults alike — could engage in building and playing with their own Little ASB Ambulance, creating a genuine connection between ASB's brand, the St John mission, and the people they were trying to reach. 

Novelli managed the following stages:

  • Design of the building block ambulance
  •  Creation of the step-by-step instruction manual for assembly
  • Testing of the product
  • Production of the sets and packaging
  • Distribution of the packs nationwide within ASB’s branch network

 
The mechanic was simple, ASB would retail the toys, with a significant charitable margin through their branch network. 

A COST-NEUTRAL ACTIVATION THAT LITERALLY SAVED LIVES
A COST-NEUTRAL ACTIVATION THAT LITERALLY SAVED LIVES
A COST-NEUTRAL ACTIVATION THAT LITERALLY SAVED LIVES
A COST-NEUTRAL ACTIVATION THAT LITERALLY SAVED LIVES
A COST-NEUTRAL ACTIVATION THAT LITERALLY SAVED LIVES

THE RESULTS - 25,000 UNITS SOLD, THREE YEARS OF ACTIVATION, AND AMBULANCES ON THE ROAD

25,000 units. Sold out in a month. That was the result of the first year's campaign - and the demand was strong enough that the sets were reordered the following year with equal success. 

In year three, to refresh the campaign, the St John Ambulance was expanded to include a station and sold at a slightly higher price point.​

These three years of activation enabled St John to put a number of fully equipped ambulances on the road which had a profound effect on the local communities who received them. ​

For ASB, not only were they able to achieve a cost-neutral activation that literally saved lives, but they were also able to accomplish the seemingly impossible. While the banking industry was seeing waning customer engagement driven by the rise of online services, ASB were actually increasing branch foot traffic. And, driving acquisition in a sought-after customer segment, young savers, many of whom will now be ASB customers for life.

ASB St John's Ambulance Station Brick Set

INTERESTED IN A NOVABRIX SET FOR YOUR NEXT FUNDRAISING OR COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN?

The ASB Little Ambulance ran for three consecutive years, sold out 25,000 units in its first month, and funded real ambulances for communities across New Zealand. If you're looking for a branded product that can drive fundraising, increase foot traffic, or connect your brand with a cause your customers care about, get in touch with Novelli or explore the NovaBrix range to see what we can create for your brand. 

Here's what we've built for some other well-known brands: 

 
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ASB & HATO HONE ST JOHN NEW ZEALAND

Hato Hone St John New Zealand is a charitable organisation providing healthcare services to the New Zealand public. The organisation provides ambulance services throughout New Zealand (apart from the Greater Wellington Region and Wairarapa), as well as certain other health services.  

With only partial government funding, St John are always looking to their supporters and sponsors for support.  ​

​Since 2008, ASB have been a principal sponsor of St John. ASB and St John have been working successfully in partnership to build safe caring communities. 

 

* Images above are for creative illustration purposes only.  Pieces may vary from actual product.​