Romano's unveils first brand campaign featuring AI artwork
Romano's has launched its first brand campaign in its fifty-year history, collaborating with agency partner MintHC and adopting generative artificial intelligence to develop the creative.
New campaign
The campaign, titled "Everyday Masterpieces", is based on the concept that Romano's pizzas enhance everyday moments, with creative elements inspired by Italian art and the brand's longstanding popularity in New Zealand.
Artwork for the campaign reinterprets classic Italian masterpieces with a New Zealand twist, featuring the Mona Lisa at a summer gathering, flatmates sharing pizza in a scene reminiscent of The Creation of Adam, and a Kiwi father by his pizza oven in homage to Michelangelo's David.
AI-driven strategy
MintHC utilised generative AI to produce the campaign artwork. Alan Kang, Creative Director at MintHC, commented on the significance of developing Romano's first major advertising initiative using AI.
"It's pretty unheard of for a successful brand like Romano's – which has been around since 1975 – to be launching its very first advertising campaign 50 years later," says Kang. "And it's incredibly exciting to be doing it with a solution that fully embraces the possibilities of AI."
Kang described the creative process as a partnership with Romano's, facilitated by the team's use of AI. He said,
"AI is an incredible tool, but it's a bit like a wild horse. It doesn't always do what you want it to – but when you learn how to steer it, it can take you places you couldn't reach before. We saw AI not as a shortcut, but as a creative enabler – helping us deliver more imagination, faster and smarter."
The campaign represents one of the first full-scale applications of generative AI in New Zealand's FMCG sector. MintHC took the approach to reduce production costs and redirect resources to maximise media placement.
Murals and media
"Everyday Masterpieces" will be visible not only in digital and out-of-home formats but also as hand-painted murals in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The campaign will also include video-on-demand, social media, retail integration, and sales activations nationally.
Brad Kirkpatrick, Managing Director at Romano's, commented on the significance of the campaign for the brand.
"This campaign is a big moment for us. We've always focused on making a great product, and we are proud to be the category leader but we've never told our story in this way. With our expansion into more North Island supermarkets, it felt like the right time to step out and connect with shoppers in a fresh, fun, and memorable way."
MintHC will also support Romano's efforts in digital storytelling and social media engagement, providing the company with ongoing opportunities to maintain relationships with consumers beyond the supermarket environment.
