Air New Zealand uncovered!

You may recall remember my 'Heads Up' blog last September - the one about bald-headed advertising no less, whereby Air New Zealand found a novel way of utilising 'available' space to promote their brand to those queueing up at airport check-ins. Well, in terms of originality, they've done it again with a great new and rather audacious television advert currently airing in New Zealand.

Featuring a number of Air New Zealand staff wearing nothing more than body paint (uniform colours, naturally) and a smile, the ad has been created to promote the airlines fares and their 'no hidden extras' policy, such as extra fees for things like in-flight drinks or checking in.

Thanks to the wonders of online social networking you too can share in the delights of this 'revealing' new commercial. The accompanying music is a track by New Zealand singer Gin Wigmore entitled “Under my skin”.

The First

OK, we’re back! The first New Zealand blog since Rhiannon moved on to pastures new. So from now on, instead of the insider viewpoint, you’ll be getting ramblings from a Brit with a passion for all that New Zealand has to offer (unless of course we talking rugby and England are playing nearby).

I’ve now been working with our New Zealand holidays for nearly 6 years and I sometimes have to remind myself that I’ve only travelled there twice – once as a backpacker in the 90’s and then again recently when my friend’s wedding provided the perfect excuse for a holiday. After all, it would have been impolite not to attend! When I think about it I’ve actually been selling NZ for far longer than 6 years. As soon as I returned home from my first trip I couldn’t stop telling everyone to visit. ‘What was not to like?’  ‘You simply can’t have a bad time’. I haven’t stopped since…

In my backpacker days I didn’t know a great deal about the country before I travelled there, but I felt an instant affinity with the place and fell deeply for the fertile valleys of the northern north island after 3 months working in Australia’s red desert. It was spring time, it was raining and I loved every minute of my 6 weeks.

Obviously it didn’t rain for my entire visit, though spending my first Sunday sitting down watching Eastenders with some fellow backpackers in Paihia, Bay of Islands, while it poured down outside was fairly surreal. Had I really just travelled 12,000 miles?! Then I remembered the fantastic dolphin encounter I had planned for the following day and suddenly I wasn't in Surrey any more.

I have nothing but happy memories of New Zealand and am sure that I’ll recount more of them in future blogs – so watch this space...