YEAR IN REVIEW 2025: AMANDA WILSON

This article originally appeared in Stoppress: https://stoppress.co.nz/stoppress-exclusives/year-in-review-2025/year-in-review-amanda-wilson/

Every year, StopPress catches up with a group of industry leaders from across Aotearoa to talk about the year that was. From the highlights and the lowlights to their favourite foods, fruits and Christmas traditions, they give us a little insight into 2025 as well as a look forward to 2026.

Amanda Wilson is brand strategist at These Guys I Know.

We talked in 2025 about work that creates behaviour change – why are these campaigns important to These Guys I Know and how does that ethos lead your work?

We love the idea of delivering work that not only drives commercial outcomes – but also contributes positively to society. It sounds lofty (so we don’t actually talk about that through our own branding – it just is what it is).

For us, that ethos starts with being selective about who we work with and ensuring there is value alignment there. Our cultural and contextual understanding is very important to us – we purposefully take on work that expands this knowledge. It enables us to connect more dots which is what These Guys I Know is about – putting many different parts together to create value. I’m ending the year knowing a lot more than I started the year with about all kinds of things. That’s deliberate and comes about through our work.  

What was your favourite campaign that you worked on this year and why?

We loved ‘Thanks Driver’ for Kinetic, a celebration of bus drivers. It’s been an unusually challenging year for them, as we have all seen through the media lately. Whilst anti-social behaviour on buses is a very complex issue and requires a multi-faceted solution, being able to show support and celebrate the driver community with this platform is something we’re pretty proud of.

The campaign normalises saying thanks driver wherever possible and has sparked a national conversation.

A shot from the Thanks Driver campaign, by These Guys I Know.

We’re also very proud of ‘Days Like These’ rolling out over summer for Water Safety New Zealand. We hope that makes a difference.

What was the most challenging moment of the year for you and the team?

We realised we were about to hit a very busy time mid year and hired to support that. I put a lot of hope on a key hire but it didn’t come to fruition (long story) and by the time that was apparent – it was too late to start a hiring process again.

We just needed to work with what we had (which we knew was not enough to manage comfortably). It was pretty tough – and yes, very uncomfortable. Very long days and nights, resources stretched beyond capacity. It’s been a big year! But, I’m proud of what we delivered and we’re in a good space. 

What did you learn in 2025 and how will this shape your work in 2026?

Holding high standards and not letting the bar drop (even when it would make life easier to do so) pays off in the end. Particularly when it comes to brand and positioning. High standards differentiate. That’s hard work – but, it’s worth it. In a world where there is a lot of crap easily made and distributed, quality is even more important. 

What are you most looking forward to in the new year?

A fresh start. As always at this time of the year, I’m ready to step back and reflect, put some more fuel in my tank so I can start 2026 as strongly as possible. There’s not much left in the tank at all right now I must admit! Crawling to the finish line.

Quick fire five

Favourite campaign that’s not yours?

Imagine by DDB for Lotto – big, beautiful and bold. I loved that I could drive past their billboard with just with one shot of the guy’s face in goggles and know the full backstory. I also liked the social content of his parents watching the ad on TV. That was a nice extension.

That kind of association through media and big campaigns is becoming less common. Also, I think FCB have done a lovely job of the new Air New Zealand brand ad. (Though I was hoping for a tactical sale campaign rather than brand as I’m looking to book tickets!)

Last meal you cooked? 

Probably spaghetti bolognese – nothing too flash at our house at this busy time of the year! 

Where is your happy place?

Just near home, the quiet end of Takapuna beach. I’m a shore girl, a quick walk to the beach and back and, at this time of year, a swim, always makes things better.

Favourite Christmas dessert? 

Pavlova and Trifle. 

What’s something about you that other people might not know? 

My grandmother Ella Wilson lived to be the second oldest person in New Zealand. She passed away a year and a half ago at 109 – singing and dancing all the way! She lived a perfectly boring meat and three veg life – and then became something of a celebrity in her 100’s… with lots of media coverage – none of which I pitched by the way! So, there is always time to raise your personal brand – even past 100. We were all very proud of her and she loved the attention.