Spark NZ: Killabyte

No one tests the limits of a network quite like gamers. There’s nothing worse than lagging in the thick of a battle royale or not being able to drop in at all because of your connection.

So, with Spark having the biggest, most powerful network in New Zealand, we set them on a path to establish themselves as the network for gamers in NZ, culturally and commercially.

We started by hosting the biggest gaming festival in the country’s history.

But then we asked ourselves: what do you do when you put 4000 gamers in the same room? Well, you make them play a game.

We turned the entire festival into a giant co-op game - Killabyte - creating a festival-eating virus boss who attendees had to fight to stop the festival from being destroyed from the inside out.

Festival wristbands became weapons, a side-quest uncovered Byte’s lore, merch and concept art gave people collectables to take home after…it was awesome.

It became the most popular game at the festival and was one of those lucky moments where work and personal passion collide into a proper career highlight.

As the strategic lead, I built Spark’s positioning within gaming, then collabed with creatives, designers and more partners than you could imagine in to build the entire thing from scratch together.

My role: Group Planning Director / Deputy Head of Planning