ABOUT US
Background.
The Cheat Code takes inspiration from the same video game term that enables players to change the game’s behaviour or unlock hidden features.
This is how we look at any creative challenge - we aim to level up the relationship you have with your audience by understanding how the game is changing and unlocking hidden features that you and your brand never knew existed.
What we stand for.
Some things can be learned, but some things can only be born out of passion. We are truly passionate about the intersection of creativity, culture, media and sports. We specialise in how brands, athletes and creators navigate that space.
The media landscape today is incredibly fragmented. Audiences have shifted away from traditional channels towards social, and first party audiences like your social following and customer databases are more important than ever.
We are culture-led in our approach and believe that true connections need to be a two-way relationship that is earned over a period of time and not taken for granted. To do that we respect the culture that surrounds our clients and look to integrate brands, athletes and creators into that world in a natural and effective way for maximum relevance.
How we think.
At the base of all our thinking is based on understanding and respecting the combination of the three key elements below:
1. The Culture
Brands that are inserting themselves within a sub-culture must understand and respect the core audience and the culture that surrounds it first-and-foremost.
2. The Platform
Understanding the uniqueness, trends and intricacies of the various social media platforms.
3. The Brand
Working closely with our partners to understand their brand, their objectives and the role they play in their audience’s lives.
Finding a sweet-spot that satisfies all three areas form the foundations to create effective communication that truly resonates.
Our Story
The group chat that started it all.
The idea started from a group chat of like-minded friends obsessed with sports, music, movies and social media. A common narrative in the chat over the years upon sharing countless Instagrams, TikToks and Facebook posts from overseas markets was;
"Sh*t this is cool, I don't understand why we can't do stuff like this here in NZ?!"
With the value of sports rights skyrocketing and brands investing more in partnerships to create awareness and engage fans, we identified a pocket of marketing that we feel has untapped creative potential.
In 2023 Ash quit as Creative Director at a social media advertising agency... and "THE CHEAT CODE" was born. A specialist 'agency' that is purely focused on unlocking the full potential of brand partnership campaigns, in the hope to help make a change in the NZ sports and culture content marketing landscape.
Ash Zaragoza
Founder & Creative Director
LinkedIn profile
A pop-culture and sports obsessed 90's kid from West Auckland, NZ making effective social media-first content for some of the world's biggest brands for over 12 years such; Red Bull, Samsung, adidas. Pepsi, Toyota, professional athletes (incl. All Blacks, Black Caps, Olympic champions), award winning musicians, fashion brands, feature films + more.
A key connector between two eras;
[1 ] The old school traditional advertising model and way of thinking
[2] The modern day social media 'content revolution’
A guy who can effectively use both the left and right side of the brain, with hands-on career experiences in every facet of the creative process on both agency and client-side; from client service, creative, strategy & planning, producing, directing, shooting, managing social accounts + everything in between. This diverse combination of skills provide Ash with a unique approach to social media creative thinking. A major point-of-difference vs the traditional industry model.
Overview of Ash's work experience:
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Saatchi & Saatchi (2012 -2016)
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Augusto (2016 - 2017)
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Red Bull (2017 - 2021)
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Culture Agency (2021 - 2023)
BRANDS WE'VE BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE WORKED AND PARTNERED
WITH OVER THE PAST DECADE
