Taika Waititi showcases aroha for Aotearoa in new Tourism New Zealand campaign via Augusto
One of New Zealand’s best-known exports is now helping one of New Zealand’s top export earners. Taika Waititi, well known New Zealand born filmmaker and actor is helping promote tourism in new content created by Tourism New Zealand and Augusto.
While in New Zealand filming HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death Season 2, Waititi spared some time to support New Zealand tourism.
Directed by Jackie van Beek, ‘No Place Like It On Earth’ showcases a range of sights and experiences travellers can find in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Says René de Monchy, chief executive, Tourism New Zealand: “Tourism is an important contributor to New Zealand, it’s one of our top export earners and is supporting sector and country recovery. Competition for visitors is fierce and New Zealand needs to work hard to encourage visitation and stand out. We partnered with well-known director and actor Taika Waititi to create a piece of content that promotes Aotearoa New Zealand.”
The content, in typical comedic Waititi style, showcases a range of New Zealand locations and experiences including whitewater rafting in Rotorua, a scenic flight over Mount Tarawera, dolphin watching in Kaikōura and wine tasting in Auckland. It will be used across Tourism New Zealand and HBO Max channels.
Adds de Monchy: “We are working hard to attract high quality visitors who will positively contribute to New Zealand’s culture, society, nature and economy and this content will target those audiences in key markets to get them thinking about destination New Zealand.”
Says Taika Waititi, Academy Award-winning writer, director, actor, producer and New Zealand native: “I always tell people you can go surfing in the morning and then drive a couple of hours and be skiing in the evening [in New Zealand]. I don’t think there’s anywhere else on earth where you can do that. It has everything.”
Says Adam Thompson, executive creative director at Augusto: “This was a wonderfully dizzying experience, getting to collaborate with so many amazing people, from Tourism New Zealand to Taika and Jackie, on a campaign that shows off the wonders of New Zealand in a fun and silly way.”
van Beek, the film’s director and writer who also appears in the content says: “I had a ball on this Tourism New Zealand campaign. There’s nothing I enjoy more than pretending to be myself bickering with Taika over what makes a good director.”
Client – Tourism New Zealand
Agency – Augusto
Executive creative director – Adam Thompson
Creatives / Writers – Tom Davies / Adam Stein / Jackie van Beek
Strategy – Matt Kingston
Commercial director – Amy Dufty
Group account director – Lauren Smith (née Oxnam)
Producer – Simone Goulding
Associate Producer (Our Flag Means Death) – Jack Sainte-Rose
Director – Jackie van Beek
DOP – Ryan Heron
Production manager – Isabelle Graham
First assistant director – Luke Wheeler
Production coordinator – Lucy Caccioppoli
Production assistant – Halina Kirkbeck
Production designer – Grace Mok
Stylist – Miranda Raman, Nancy Hennah, Tennesse Jade, Hu Nakagawa, Jess Hunt, Will Parsons, Georgette Pollock-Johnson
Editor – Corbin Dallas, Connor Farrell, Kat Kasajima
Post production manager – Zoe Jones
VFX – Jon Baxter
Audio – Amy Barber
Photographer – Graeme Murray
Design – James Davison, Nina Vasiljevic
Sound – Bespoke Post
20 Comments
This humour is very kiwi….if the objective is to attract I international audiences to NZ then I’m unsure if achieves this?
Tourism NZ is quickly becoming one of the most schizophrenic brands in market.
This is a vanity project, I love Taika but this does nothing for brand Tourism NZ.
I think Creative accidentally left the funny script in my out tray.
You respond negatively to every idea. Not sure if you’ve noticed in your little corner of the world but businesses and people are doing it tough. Up and down the spectrum. Maybe we can just be happy about the work that gets made and has half an idea?
I dont love this one but I applaud that it got made. Not making work begets not making more work. We should be pulling for the opposite
Agree. Btw @The Agency Photocopier you have the chance to be funny too but fail miserably at every opportunity.
Would a cuddly toy kiwi be better? I reckon it might.
Funny. Watched it all the way through. Big kiwi celeb known for kiwi humour that people around the work find funny too. Ties to the Taika’s new show that was shot in NZ and showcases plenty of NZ. Good for tourism. Bit lighter the serious stuff.
This is how we’re spending tax dollars in a cost of living crisis? By shamelessly promoting Taika’s latest comedy vehicle intercut with the generic tourism porn. Lazy AF.
Seriously. What’s not to like about this? NZ tourism and Taika doing funny stuff.
Hello @hey
I’m a photocopier. And your comments need more nasty toner.
I see everything: JCRs, resignation letters, birthday invites, legal letters, arses and boobs during Xmas parties, scam ads and TV scripts.
Now that I’ve cleared that up, are you going to the Printing United Expo in Atlanta, Georgia? I’ll be there. See you at the Slurpee stand.
Does it just irk you knowing that you’re the less funny version of the Ghost of Mayoral Drive?
Not funny. Again.
I think Kiwi humour travels well around the world so people will see it as a fun place. It also looks likes a beautiful to visit.
@copier. Your tone is sounding a bit outdated and not v funny. Time for an upgrade.
Yes. Somewhere around the middle.
Wow people are coming for your throat
Is that you again copier?
3.3M views 8 days ago #OurFlagMeansDeath #NZMustDo
Looking at their YouTube, it’s one of tourism’s highest viewed videos so far. Mostly through earned and pr. Lots of pick up and positive feedback around the world. Which is nice.