An Essential Thanks To All Of New Zealand’s Essential Workers

Wednesday, 8 April 2020, 10:52 am
Press Release: ASB Bank

For many New Zealanders, alert level 4 has meant staying at home. For those working in essential services however, it has meant heading out and working even harder to support the country during the lockdown period.

At ASB, we think these everyday Kiwi heroes deserve an essential thanks.

ASB has launched its #EssentialThanks campaign in the past few days: it is a way for Kiwis to show their support for our essential services across the country.

We’re calling upon everyone in New Zealand to post their #EssentialThanks messages on ASB’s social media. We'll use our digital billboards around the country to share these messages with those that are still out on the streets, commuting and travelling each day to support New Zealand through this time.

“The current situation created by COVID-19 around the globe and here at home is affecting each of us. For many people working in an essential service, that means going out into the community, often on the frontline, when most people are at home. They also need to ensure they protect their own loved ones from a day at work,” says ASB chief executive Vittoria Shortt.

“To the Kiwis working in our supermarkets, or in food production and delivery; to our paramedics, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers; to those working in the financial services industry or working to keep our broadband running or any other essential service, we want to share our gratitude for the work you are doing to support all New Zealanders, and to keep our country running. This Essential Thanks is for you.

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“Our ASB community would like to say a special thank you to St John as our community partner for the work its people are doing. April is usually St John annual appeal month, which is a crucial fundraising period, so its teams can continue to do amazing work. It’s great to be able to show St John how we can continue to support it in other ways through this campaign.

“So, New Zealand, please post your message on our social media channels, so we can share it with all essential workers. Together, let’s tell them what they do matters,” says Shortt.

Notes to editors:

The campaign, which went live over the weekend, has already had around 500 comments thanking essential workers across the country. It will run during the lockdown period.

To participate, you simply need to comment on ASB’s social media (Facebook or Instagram) with the hashtag #EssentialThanks. We’ll be picking a number of comments each day, and will be in touch to make sure you’re happy for your comment to be used on our billboards with a photo. This will then be posted on one of the digital billboards across the country, where it can be seen by our essential workers on their commute.

The campaign was created in collaboration with With Collective.

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