Ideas Shop worked with the Department of Building and Housing to run a creative, high-impact campaign for the launch of Simple House, Acceptable Solution - a set of design standards for affordable housing. 

New Zealand faces a crisis in affordable housing, so to promote the new standards and the building of new affordable housing, Ideas Shop and DBH needed to encourage architects and builders to give feedback on the draft standards, and to implement the standards by building more affordable homes.  

• Watch video of the Simple House, built and ready to be opened 

Ideas Shop developed the communications strategy for a nationwide competition for designers and architects to come up with a house design that met the criteria for the new standards – simple yet affordable. The competition winners and the standards were announced together at a launch event which attracted considerable media attention. Ideas Shop continued to successfully promote both the building of the winning house design, and its opening. 

The results of the campaign far outstripped its targets. Ideas Shop worked with the Department of Building and Housing to overcome multiple challenges in developing an innovative communications solution for a complex and technical subject, engaging a range of stakeholders, creating a wide level of awareness on a limited budget and managing several high profile events.

That’s what gave this 2011 Gold Quill entry a leading edge over international competition.