Canned the Marketing Podcast

• Scarily Good Marketing: Westpac’s Creative Comeback

  When was the last time a bank ad made you smile, or even think twice before spending? In this episode of Canned, hosts Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) and Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) sit down with Allie and Georgia from Westpac New Zealand to unpack how a bank known for caution turned heads with scarily creative campaigns. From hangover drinks to haunted houses, this episode proves finance marketing doesn’t have to be boring. 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode • Turning Financial Education into Entertainment How Westpac’s marketing team made topics like credit cards and spending habits engaging for Gen Z. • The Power of “Edutainment” in Banking Why blending financial literacy with humour and creativity builds long-term brand consideration. • Behind the Scenes of “Avoid a Black Friday Hangover” Inside the TikTok-led campaign that encouraged smart spending — not just more spending. • Creating the “House of Credit Card Horrors” How Westpac transformed credit anxiety into a spooky, shareable experience — complete with live actors and jump scares. • Building Trust with a Risk-Averse Brand Navigating stakeholder nerves, risk appetites, and creative sign-offs inside a big bank. • Measuring the Impact of Creative Courage How the team linked impressions, engagement, and education metrics to real business outcomes. • The Role of Agencies in Bold Ideas How collaboration between Saatchi & Saatchi, Spur, and Westpac’s team brought cinematic creativity to banking. 💬 Bonus Nuggets 🧠 Brain fuel, not booze: The team literally brewed a “spending clarity” drink with Kiwi brand Ārepa. 🎭 Spookers came to play — professional scare actors helped bring the “House of Credit Card Horrors” to life. 📱 The campaigns found Gen Z where they live: TikTok, YouTube, and TVNZ OnDemand. 💬 The phrase “financial hangover” landed hard — tested insights showed it resonated across age groups. 🏆 Expect to see these campaigns on next year’s award circuit. 🎧 Why Listen? If you think banking marketing is all interest rates and fine print, this episode will change your mind. Banking Gets Brave is a masterclass in turning dry financial topics into relatable, culture-driven storytelling. Whether you’re in finance, B2B, or just want to see how bold creative thinking can thrive in a conservative industry, you’ll walk away inspired (and maybe a little scared) to push your next idea further. 🕒 Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to Canned Ben and Steph introduce the episode and guests from Westpac NZ. 01:00 – Meet Allie & Georgia How they collaborate across propositions, campaigns, and creative execution. 02:30 – The Birth of “Avoid a Black Friday Hangover” Identifying a Gen Z opportunity in financial wellbeing and impulse spending. 05:00 – TikTok Meets Financial Literacy Why Westpac chose social-first storytelling to educate without preaching. 09:30 – From Screens to Stores Partnering with Ārepa and MediaWorks for a real-world activation. 12:00 – Balancing Creativity and Compliance How the team won internal support for an education-led campaign. 18:00 – Enter the “House of Credit Card Horrors” Transforming credit fear into an immersive, horror-inspired experience. 23:00 – Inside the Haunted Activation Spookers, Spur, and how to run a safe, scary live event. 28:00 – Amplifying the Experience Social sharing, earned media, and turning an activation into content gold. 33:00 – What the Data Revealed Surprising insights into Gen Z credit behaviour and what they learned. 36:00 – Final Thoughts The case for creative bravery in banking — and a hint at awards to come. 38:00 – Ben & Steph Wrap Up Reflections, favourite banks, and a teaser for next week’s episode on TMC Marketers Day.

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• LIVE from SXSW Sydney: The Future of Marketing is Human

  Recorded live at South by Southwest Sydney, hosts Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) and Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) take the Canned the Marketing podcast to the stage for the first time. Joined by Alex Holden (EVT Group GM, Brand & Customer) and Matt Meffan (Aether AI), they debate the future of marketing, where does AI help, where does it hurt, and why the human element still matters most. AI Adoption vs. Human Advantage How leading brands like EVT are embracing AI tools without losing their human touch. From Efficiency to Empathy Why marketers must balance automation with emotion to build trust and connection. Synthetic Data: Hype or Help? When AI-generated data might replace research… and when it absolutely shouldn’t. Where AI Stops, Humans Start Why storytelling, creativity, and judgment remain irreplaceable marketing skills. The Real-World Pushback How customers’ desire for real, tangible experiences is reshaping brand strategy post-AI boom. Bonus Nuggets ChatGPT’s new human-centred ad campaign - proof that even AI markets with emotion. A 92-year-old’s holiday planned by ChatGPT (and approved by her granddaughter). The surprising statistic linking 92 % of U.S. GDP growth this year to AI-adjacent firms. Why “lazy AI” work is already being punished by audiences - and what to do instead. The Opera House “deepfake” experiment that fooled half of LinkedIn. Why Listen? This lively SXSW special captures the tension and excitement marketers are feeling right now. It’s smart, grounded, and funny, where optimism for AI meets the realism of seasoned marketers who’ve seen hype cycles before. If you’ve ever wondered where the line is between AI efficiency and human creativity, this episode gives you the frameworks (and the laughs) to find it.     

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• We Unpack Packaging - Why It Could Be Your Most Important Marketing Tool

  What makes packaging more than just a box? In this episode, hosts Steph Quantrill (Cue Marketing) and Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) unpack the power of packaging as a strategic marketing tool. From Louis Vuitton to Telegraph Hill, they explore how design, psychology, and sustainability all influence what we buy - and how great packaging can become a brand’s most valuable asset. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why Packaging Is Marketing, Not Just Design Steph and Ben break down how packaging drives brand recognition, positioning, and customer loyalty, especially at the shelf. How Distinctive Assets Are Built Through Form and Colour From Tiffany blue to Toblerone triangles, discover why shape and colour consistency matter as much as your logo. The Psychology Behind Premium vs. Value Cues How subtle design decisions like fonts, finishes, and materials can signal luxury, value, or everyday practicality to consumers. When Simplicity Becomes the New Luxury Why the modern premium aesthetic has shifted from ornate to minimal, and what that means for brand differentiation. Packaging in the Wild: Retail vs. E-Commerce How in-store cues differ from online presentation, and why the unboxing experience has become part of the marketing mix. The Sustainability Paradox Can brands balance beauty, functionality, and environmental responsibility, or are we still stuck in the “greenwashed” zone? The Business of Costing and Design Hierarchy Inside the marketer’s toolkit for balancing design ambition with margin realities and why hierarchy matters on a crowded shelf. Bonus Nuggets Ben’s candle obsession and the Ponsonby shelf art test for premium design. The unboxing craze — and how Labubu and Apple changed how we think about product reveals. Why Pals pastel cans redefined an entire RTD category in New Zealand. Why Listen? If you’ve ever wondered why people keep perfume boxes or display Louis Vuitton ribbons, this episode will change how you see packaging forever. Steph and Ben dive deep into the art and economics of design - where aesthetics meet strategy and every label, box, and bottle tells a brand story. Whether you’re a marketer, founder, or just someone who loves beautiful things, you’ll walk away seeing packaging as your brand’s silent salesperson.

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• Print Aint' Dead - Why Old School Media Still Rocks

  Steph’s bruised from a spa mishap, Ben’s beard is thriving, and together we’re diving into one of marketing’s most overlooked weapons: print. From junk mail raids and luxury packaging to phygital QR hacks and Hell Pizza hydroponic billboards, this episode smashes the myth that print is yesterday’s news. We get into: Print’s Comeback – Why mailers, street posters, and in-flight mags cut through in ways digital just can’t. Sustainability Myths – Is print really less green than AI prompts and server farms? (Spoiler: not always). Luxury Cues – From Tiffany boxes to Apple unboxings, how packaging and embossing create brand desire. Phygital WTF? – How QR codes, AR, and personalization are blending the physical with the digital. Award-winning Stunts – Behind the scenes of Hell Pizza’s Doobious hydroponic billboard and why creative OOH still wins attention. Gen Z & Digital Fatigue – Why even the youngest audiences are craving something tactile. Plus, we swap horror stories of folding pamphlets for peanuts, confess to junk mail theft , and debate the line between smart merch and branded landfill. If you’ve ever written off print as “old school,” this ep will flip your thinking. 👉 Next week we’re unpacking packaging – from blind boxes to Tiffany’s blue box obsession. Don’t miss it.

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• The Role of the CMO - past, present and future

  Strap in, marketers. This week, Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) and Stephanie Quantrill (Cue Marketing) take you behind the closed doors of the C-suite to unpack the most misunderstood, and arguably most exciting, role in business: the Chief Marketing Officer. From career pathways to power plays, bold calls to boardroom politics, this episode is your masterclass in what it takes to thrive as a CMO. What You’ll Learn in This Episode The CMO’s Seat at the Table: Why being in the exec team (not just near it) is non-negotiable. Career Moves That Count: Why sideways steps into sales, ops, or finance can turbocharge your marketing career. Customer at the Core: How top CMOs embody the voice of the customer – and bring it right into the boardroom. Bold Calls & Risky Business: Why great CMOs aren’t afraid to pivot, back themselves, and sometimes crash spectacularly. Power Dynamics: The real truth about managing your CEO, befriending your CFO, and building a leadership team that trusts you. Tenure & Turnover: Why some CMOs thrive for decades while others bounce every 3 years. Pro Tips for Aspiring CMOs: From reading a P&L to balancing brand vs. performance, Ben and Steph drop the wisdom you need to step up. Bonus Nuggets HubSpot Connect highlights – and why cutting the clutter matters. The rise of AI in marketing (and why it’s harder than YouTube makes it look). Ads on your fridge? Samsung thinks so. SXSW Sydney preview + Mo Gawdat’s vision of AI dystopia vs. utopia. Cannes Lions 2026 early hype. Why Listen? Because if you want to move from “colouring in” to being the growth engine of the business, this is the roadmap. No fluff. No fencesitting. Just the raw truth about what it takes to be a kick-ass CMO. Chapters   00:00 Weekend Highlights: World of Wearable Arts 02:56 Insights from HubSpot Connect 06:08 Innovative Business Models and Leadership 08:49 The Future of Advertising: Smart Fridges 11:57 Excitement for South by Southwest 14:48 The Role of the Chief Marketing Officer 17:50 Defining the CMO's Responsibilities and Challenges 23:20 The Role of a CMO: Balancing Business Acumen and Customer Focus 27:42 Leadership Challenges: Risk, Trust, and Decision-Making 30:09 Transitioning to CMO: From Execution to Influence 33:49 Navigating Relationships: The Importance of Cross-Functional Trust 36:47 The Tension of Marketing Goals vs. Business Objectives 39:45 CMO Tenure: Fresh Perspectives vs. Long-Term Impact   Got feedback? Email us:   Ben Van Rooy - [email protected] Steph Quantrill [email protected]  Website: www.cannedmarketing.com  Instagram: @cannedmarketing 

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