New Zealand has launched a fresh tourism campaign which is attracting attention for what some say are all the wrong reasons. It is the new slogan “Everyone must go!” that has drawn ridicule, with observers comparing it to the well-known clearance sale phrase “Everything must go!”.
Others have suggested the slogan sounds like a complaint about queues for the toilet, while still more have said it implies people should be fleeing New Zealand – poor messaging as the country is in the midst of an emigration crisis and visitor numbers remain below pre-pandemic figures.
Targeting Australian visitors
The marketing strategy, which cost NZ$500,000 (around €274,000), is designed to address those low visitor numbers, particularly from Australia. The key short-haul source market provides around 44% of New Zealand’s visitors but is currently still around 12% down on 2019 levels. With humour perhaps targeted at Australians then, the campaign leans heavily on irony and juxtaposition.
New Zealand’s striking landscapes are pictured, with visitors wonderstruck next to waterfalls and cycling on mountain trails. Over the images, in choppy white upper case, the slogan “EVERYONE MUST GO!” appears, next to starburst callouts adding: “Even you” and “Don’t miss out”. The aesthetic seems a deliberate reference to the type of posters that accompany bargain basement sales.
So-called non-harmonious “bastard elements”, which break with usual themes and layouts, are sometimes used in advertising to grab attention, however, in this instance, the ploy has Kiwi viewers and opposition politicians bemused.
Overcrowding versus record emigration
Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, Labour’s tourism spokesperson, responded with disbelief, arguing: “I mean, it makes New Zealand sound like we’re in a clearance bin at a sale,” which, she claimed, echoes how many Kiwis feel amid sweeping government austerity measures.
Meanwhile, Green Party tourism spokesperson Celia Wade-Brown said: “‘Everyone Must Go’ might refer to the need for toilets in some of our high-tourist spots. I mean, the queues are ridiculous.” Tying her comments to criticism of tourism numbers and spending in New Zealand, she said there are “too many people here for too short a time. They don’t go kayaking, they don’t go diving, but, my goodness, they queue at the toilets.”
Overcrowding, though, is probably the least of New Zealand’s worries right now. According to emigration data from Statistics New Zealand, 131,200 people had left New Zealand by Q3 last year – a record high causing one X user to observe: “Everyone Must Go” campaign: “Already a highly successful campaign: Tens of thousands of Kiwis have already gone.”
Net migration seems to be strengthening again and interestingly the net flow of NZers out is turning around. The NZ unemployment rate should also be peaking relative to Australian unemployment. This should further encourage kiwis to stay as the year wears on. pic.twitter.com/krb7yvUwzV
— Kelly Eckhold (@kellyenz) February 16, 2025
Open for tourism and digital nomads
But Louise Upston, minister for the community and voluntary sector, has defended the “Everyone must go!” campaign in a press statement. “What this Tourism New Zealand campaign says to our Aussie mates is that we’re open for business, there are some great deals on, and we’d love to see you soon.”
It is the second announcement in recent weeks that seeks to tempt visitors to the southwestern Pacific island country. New visa rules announced in January now permit remote workers, or so-called “digital nomads”, to stay in New Zealand for up to 90 days.
