HEARTS

Bayfair has been a cornerstone of the Mount Maunganui community since 1985 — more than a shopping centre, a place people return to generation after generation. For its 40th, the centre wanted a celebration that honoured that legacy while driving what matters commercially: foot traffic, dwell, repeat visits and social sharing, across the quieter post-Easter stretch.

So we tapped the nostalgic joy of turning 40 and built a three-week party around it. At its heart, a single neon-lit birthday cake, refreshed each week with a new oversized 80s character — the Birthday Bash Crew. Bespoke icons dressed in Bayfair's own colours, designed as recognisable brand ambassadors with a life beyond the month.

Each week unveiled a new photo-worthy scene. Coolio opened with a Mr Whippy truck and a sweet-treat giveaway; Mixtape Marty brought a boombox blasting Bayfair's retro jingle and 80s NZ tracks; Polaroid Pam closed it out with an 80s TV wall of throwback Bayfair and Mount moments. Every set carried an oversized push-button that fired neon edge-lighting and sound, plus a QR and iPad entry mechanic — turning a glance into an interaction, and an interaction into an entry to a competition with $40,000 in prizes on the line — the incentive that kept people coming back week after week. Light, sound, taste and memory, layered into one build.