New Zealand made a tourism ad about Herpes… and it won big
By James Herring on Monday, July 7, 2025
A bold campaign by the New Zealand Herpes Foundation won the Grand Prix for Good at the 2025 Cannes Lions, using humour and national pride to challenge stigma around herpes.
Launched last October on Global Herpes Awareness Day, the campaign reimagined New Zealand as “the best place in the world to have herpes”.
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Created in partnership with creative agency Motion Sickness and production company Finch, it featured a mock tourism advert led by former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry.
In the video, Sir Graham reflects on New Zealand’s traditional sources of pride (from rugby to sheep) and calls for a new kind of national achievement: reducing the stigma around herpes. Around 80% of Kiwis will contract oral or genital herpes, yet stigma remains high, with many reporting mental health impacts.
The wider campaign included a “Herpes Destigmatisation Course” fronted by well-known New Zealanders, including Sir Ashley Bloomfield and boxer Mea Motu, aiming to deliver straightforward education in an approachable format.
David Ohana, jury president at Cannes Lions, praised the campaign for “turning a taboo topic on its head” and bringing humour to public health messaging.
A live “Herpes Stigma Index” leaderboard on the campaign website lets users see how countries compare and contribute to reducing stigma through education.
At launch, New Zealand ranked ninth out of ten OECD countries surveyed.
The campaign has reached millions and sparked conversation, with NZHF’s Alaina Luxmoore calling the mix of education and humour key to its success.
