The objective of this research is to measure the effect of a national ankylosing spondylitis (AS) public awareness campaign on numbers of referrals for suspected AS and numbers of cases diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). A television advertising campaign was conducted by Arthritis New Zealand in 2011 to raise public awareness of AS. A retrospective analysis was made of referrals received by the three rheumatology services 3 months before the campaign started and 3 months after the campaign ended. The age, gender, number of referrals for suspected AS and number of referrals resulting in a diagnosis of axial SpA were recorded. Independent analysis showed that the awareness campaign reached 82 % of the primary target audience. In the 3 months after the awareness campaign, there was a significant increase in referrals for suspected AS compared with the 3 months before the campaign (54 vs. 88, 63 %, p = 0.0056). Referrals for other conditions did not change. The number of referrals resulting in a diagnosis of axial SpA also increased (27 vs. 44, 63 %, p = 0.0576). The mean ages of the patients referred and of those diagnosed with axial SpA did not change. The male/female ratio was 1:1 among the referrals for suspected AS and 2:1 in referrals diagnosed with axial SpA, before and after the campaign. The Arthritis New Zealand AS public awareness campaign was associated with a significant increase in referrals to rheumatology services for suspected AS and an increase in the diagnosis of axial SpA in clinics.