‘Ultimate Tradie’ puts the JAC T9 to the test and keePs a Kiwi favourite hot
JAC New Zealand has taken a distinctly Kiwi approach to showcasing its latest top-spec T9 ute, putting the vehicle through its paces with a character known only as the ‘Ultimate Tradie’ – all while keeping the humble pie hot.
The new campaign – JAC of All Trades – reflects the brand’s intent to introduce the T9 to a wider local audience. Straight from a manufacturer with more than 60 years of commercial vehicle heritage, the JAC T9 has already proven itself internationally. The New Zealand team, however, wanted to see how it performed in the hands of someone who works across multiple trades and understands what a ute must endure in real daily use.
The Ultimate Tradie is presented as part sparky, part builder, part plumber and, for good measure, part accountant. The tongue-in-cheek character is backed by narration that plays on familiar testing-legend tropes, offering lines such as “They say his nail gun does not jam. It just politely asks for a rest.”
Across the campaign, the T9 is put to work in a series of scenarios designed to mirror the challenges Kiwi tradespeople face. While load capability, comfort and technical features all get highlighted, one detail in particular has caught attention: a built-in pie warmer that adds a uniquely local twist to the T9’s feature list.
JAC says the intent of the campaign is to show the ute’s capability across a broad range of real-world tasks rather than relying solely on specifications or studio footage. The character of the Ultimate Tradie gives the campaign a light tone while still putting the vehicle into situations that matter to its target market.
With the T9 now established internationally, JAC New Zealand sees this campaign as an opportunity to demonstrate how the ute meets the expectations of local trades and small business owners. The Ultimate Tradie, it seems, was the obvious choice to put that to the test.