Angela March May 23, 2025 2 min read
JB Hi-Fi x BurgerFuel: Music month…without the marketing cliches
Less campaign, more mixtape energy
Too many brand “partnerships” look like they’ve been cooked up in a boardroom.
This wasn’t one of them.
JB Hi-Fi wanted to show up during NZ Music Month in a way that felt culturally right — not corporate. BurgerFuel was looking to evolve its long-running support of emerging music while keeping things fresh. We recognised the harmony these two could sing (see what we did there) and help create a brand collab built on shared music DNA, not just marketing KPIs.
The goal? Tap into Kiwi music culture in a way that was genuine.
Trust beats impressions
We facilitated a collaboration between JB Hi-Fi and BurgerFuel. This wasn’t a slap-a-logo-on-it sponsorship. It kicked off with JB’s headline sponsorship of BurgerFuel’s Battle of the Bands, then led naturally into a NZ Music Month campaign — integrated, audience-led, and built to work hard for both brands.
The campaign included:
Co-branded Battle of the Bands: In the lead up to Music Month, JB Hi-Fi came in as a headline sponsor of Burgerfuel’s battle of the bands event — think signage, being part of the judging panel, and prizes that were actually relevant to an up and coming musician, including a national in-store music feature for the winners. JB Hi-Fi backed the partnership with EDM, social and in-store promotion.
VIB Club giveaways: Four weeks of curated “Kiwi Music Essentials” prize packs during NZ music month promoted to BurgerFuel’s 270,000+ subscriber base, blending JB tech and merch with burger-fuelled perks.
“Music Talks” content series: A five-part, video run featuring JB and BurgerFuel staff swapping album recs and music memories — shot inside JB’s vinyl-stacked store. The series also included a prize exchange between participating staff that brought the collab to life internally.
The results: brand love in surround sound
The collaboration drove engagement across both brands' audiences, with strong EDM performance, social reach, and positive sentiment.
JB Hi-Fi cemented its position as a genuine supporter of Kiwi music, not just a retailer that stocks it. And the partnership supported BurgerFuel to continue championing emerging talent. Staff loved it. Audiences engaged with it. And in an era of forced brand mashups, this one actually made music.
