Courtney Dow, creative director at Bastion Aotearoa, on what it takes to create work that keeps brands – like the agency’s recent win KFC – culturally recognisable while retaining their edge.
What do you and your team hope to bring to KFC that will help the brand stand out?
The great thing about our recent ‘coupling’ is the shared ambition we have with the KFC team. Together, we want to make big, energetic work that populates culture.
Our partnership is going from strength to strength, with a new global brand identity, NZ value platform and some exciting creative work in the deep fryer, there’s a lot in store for the brand in the near future.
When taking on well-known brands such as New World and KFC, where do you begin creatively?
Fortunately, over my career I’ve been lucky enough to work with some excellent planners, who do the hard work before it gets to the creative team.
But we start by making every problem a playground. Going wide, testing the limits and finding interesting insights. It’s easy to talk about what something costs or what the brand does, but it needs to play a role in the audience’s life.
How do you strike the balance between preserving a brand’s identity and evolving it for new audiences?
Ask someone on the street what happened in culture last year and they’ll have to think for a second. Culture doesn’t sit still – something new always comes along. Our aim is to make sure we show up ‘room ready’, creating a modern brand our audience recognise and feel comfortable with, while retaining the brand’s point of difference.
Quick fire 5
- Texting or calling?
SMS FTW - Live in the past or the future?
Take me back. I’ve just tipped past 40 so nostalgia is kicking in big time. - What’s your creative hot take?
All advertising is retail advertising. ‘Brand’ is to build long-term connection, but it’s to sell something in the end. - What’s the number one thing on your bucket list?
I walked up Kilimanjaro last year with a top tier group. For the next trip we’ve got our eyes on the Amazon. - If you could have dinner with any famous person, who would it be?
[Curb Your Enthusiasm’s] Larry David would be up there. I’d love to see him in full swing at one of NZ’s finest restaurants. Can you imagine his retort when someone asks: “Can I explain the menu?” Scenes.
This story is from NZ Marketing magazine issue 88, Sept-Nov 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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