When COVID-19 cases were first reported in New Zealand, the country had one of the worst preparedness states for pandemic and a low ratio of hospital beds to population. The New Zealand Government adopted an aggressive lockdown strategy and this case details how communications were required to deliver high understanding and compliance of the rules among the public. Messaging encouraged Kiwis to ‘unite against COVID’ using a metaphor of supporting a team. International comparisons of the country’s performance on COVID suppressions are used to argue that the strategy reduced the deaths and economic impact of the pandemic in New Zealand.