Welcome to a country where there are more sheep than people, where there is beetroot in a hamburger, where people can have 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath if they drive properly in the left lane, where summer starts around Christmas and July is the coldest month of the year, and where you will find the town of Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe- nuakitanatahu, which has the longest name in the world.
A BIT OF HISTORY
The first official television broadcast in New Zealand took place on Wednesday 1 June 1960. At exactly 7:30 pm, after long and thorough testing, the first broadcast was launched on AKTV-2 from the Shortland Street studios in Auckland. The broadcast lasted just three hours. The early days of television in New Zealand - following the BBC model - were marked by non-commercial broadcasting. The programmes aimed to inform, educate, and entertain the public. The broadcasts were funded by an annual licence fee (initially 6 pounds and 10 shillings per household).
But as early as April 1961, New Zealand television went into commercial mode and commercials began to be broadcast, initially only two nights a week. According to the Auckland Star, on the first night, Saturday 4 April 1961, 72 commercials were aired in four hours. Later, advertisements were allowed four days of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday) with a limit of 6 advertising minutes per hour. Since 1989, when the Broadcasting Act was passed, TV ads began to be broadcast on all days of the week.
Today, TV advertising is banned on holidays such as Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Anzac Day. The licence fee was abolished in 1999. TV advertising is now the main source of funding for New Zealand’s free-to-air (i.e. non-subscription) channels.
IN THE BEGINNING WAS APPLE
The first local television advertisement was created in the early 1960s by Goldberg Advertising for the Apple and Pear Marketing Board. The ad was shown in London and later on New Zealand television. The final shot showed a boy sitting on an apple above the words “New Zealand apples give that FRESH UP flavour”. Unfortunately, the footage is not available.
One of the iconic pieces from the early years of New Zealand television advertising is undoubtedly the Chesdale Cheese ad (1969).
Video: Chesdale Cheese Ad
The main heroes of this advertisement were two animated singing and dancing farmers Ches and Dale. The advert was remade several times, always with the same slogan celebrating the best cheddar.
THE SEARCH FOR NATIONAL IDENTITY AND NATIONAL PRIDE
New Zealand’s advertisements strongly reflect the search for a national identity in a country that was a British colony until 1907. The relatively short period of independence is thus logically reflected in TV advertising. From the 1980s onwards, New Zealand accent and strong New Zealand archetypes began to appear in advertising.
For the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, kiwi birds are an important symbol - they are considered sacred. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, kiwi birds commonly appeared on postage stamps, commercial products, and banknotes. During sporting events, kiwis were often depicted competing with kangaroos representing Australia or lions representing Great Britain. During World War I, New Zealand soldiers began to be referred to as Kiwis, and this was repeated during World War II. Since the 1920s, the term Kiwi has been extended to all New Zealanders.
In 1982, Toyota used the iconic Kiwi character Barry Crump to promote its Hilux. The ads featuring Crump and Scotty depict the comedy duo driving off-road and are among the most popular advertising campaigns in New Zealand. The filmmakers made very clever use of two clichés: the unruffled country guy (Barry Crump) and the city slicker (Lloyd Scotty). The ads featuring Crumpy and Scotty continued successfully for the next 12 years.
Video: Toyota Hilux
Another campaign with a strong identity focus was probably Len Potts’ most famous advertising campaign for the Bank of New Zealand “Who Are We”. The ad shows a typical New Zealand bach and evokes nostalgic memories of holidaying, fishing etc. The aim of the ad was to liken the bank to the Kiwi lifestyle and tap into feelings of New Zealand identity.
Video: Len Potts - New Zealand Bank
Other iconic national symbols whose fame has been used by advertising agencies in their spots include the world-famous racehorse Phar Lap and rugby player Christian Cullen.
We will say goodbye to historical ads with an ad that has been aired for 25 years. Auckland Glass promoted its services from 1996 to 2021, earning it the title of New Zealand’s longest-running TV ad. “It’s been a bit of a mainstay in Kiwi homes for the last 25 years,” Nic Reid, one of the new owners of Auckland Glass, said of the ad and added, “But the reality is it needs a bit of a change as it doesn’t reflect everything we do.” Reid admitted that certain elements from the iconic ad will be used in the new advertisements.
Video - Auckland Glass Windows
Novozélanďané mají viditelně výdrž. Umíte si představit, že byste se 25 let, večer co večer, dívali na jednu a tutéž reklamu? Nejspíš ne, že? I když… Možná, že kdyby to byla reklama na Kofolu se „zahnutými žuby nahoru“, bude odpověď i v České republice znít „ano“.
Současnost na Novém Zélandu
According to commentator Irene Gardiner, the current state of TV advertising is very different from when it started. “You had a lot of classic ones made in the '80s and '90s. There were a lot of people watching free-to-air TV, so it was worth investing the money,“ said the commentator on the 60th anniversary of TV advertising. “The model has since changed with the introduction of streaming. People are trying to make broader campaigns and include social media,” Gardiner said. “But with 60 years of television advertising up our sleeves there’s no denying some will remain stuck in our heads for a lifetime.”
New Zealand advertising excels in creativity. New Zealanders have a sense of humour, and it comes through in their ads. Sir Roger Douglas’s economic reform in the 1980s affected the creative environment. New Zealand-produced television ads feature elaborate animation and visual effects.
This is evidenced by V Energy’s “Can You Feel It” ad featuring the iconic bugs singing “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”.
Video: V Energy
Sky’s advertisement “Life Needs More Sky” is also well done. To promote the new platform, Sky is using talking animals that say famous movie one-liners:
Video: Sky - Life Needs More Sky
CANNES LIONS AWARDS 2023
New Zealand filmmakers have collected a number of awards this year. Although they did not win any of the main prizes in the prestigious Film category, the awards from other categories are a clear proof of the quality of their creative work. Special Agency from Auckland won the Independent Agency of the Year - Strategy award at the festival.
In addition, New Zealand creatives took home a Silver Lion in the Sustainable Development Goals category, Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions in the Creative Strategy category, two Gold and one Silver Lion in the Media category, two Silver Lions and two Bronze Lions in the Direct category.
Let us take a look at the Silver Lion-winning Correct the Internet ad (Team Heroine, DDB Aotearoa, Auckland), which aims to change the way internet search engines work. The authors say: “Many of the world’s best athletes are women. And many of the world’s sporting records are held by women. But due to human bias, our search engines have learnt to prioritise sportsmen in our search results, even when the facts put sportswomen first. We want to change that. We’re collecting the incorrect search results and have built a tool so you can help us correct them with just a couple of clicks. The internet has learnt our bias. We created it. We have the power to fix it.”
Video: Correct The Internet
BROADCASTING IN MAORI
New Zealand is known for its respect for Maori culture, which is also reflected in its television broadcasts. TVNZ (Television New Zealand) has a dedicated television station, TVNZ Te Reo, which is devoted exclusively to Maori language programming. Another such channel is Whakaata Māori (formerly Māori Television), a special Māori-language television station offering a wide range of programmes in Te Reo Māori, including news, documentaries, dramas, cultural programmes, and educational content. Both of these channels play a key role in promoting and sustaining Māori language, culture and heritage through TV broadcasting in New Zealand.
Whakaata Māori TV has its own advertising minute limit (4 minutes per hour) and offers the opportunity to advertise across the entire programme schedule. It is watched by 1.1 million viewers per month. Māori culture cannot be denied in the commercials:
Video: Maori TV Ad
TOP 10 ADS IN JUNE 2023 OR HOW NEW ZEALANDERS SEE IT
Research agency TRA has compiled a ranking of the top ten New Zealand ads in June 2023 based on a survey of New Zealanders.
- ASB – Ben and Amy
- Turners – Tina from Turners
- PAK’nSAVE – Stickman
- ANZ – Long Term Plans / Kiwisaver Scheme
- Genesis – George and her family
- Westpac – Together Greater
- KFC – General retail
- Nova Energy – Save all over
- Waka Kotahi – Toll Booth
- Trustpower – Meant to be together
PAK’nSAVE and Stickman
The cartoon Stickman from the third-place ad has been the face of PAK'n SAVE for 15 years and continues to entertain New Zealanders. TRA rates the campaign as a “masterclass in long-term brand building”, in particular, thanks to the Stickman character, his voice and yellow and black world, which are instantly recognisable distinctive assets. Just like Alza’s green alien in our country.
KFC and ads tailored to Kiwis
Among the most popular ads is the global brand KFC, which ranked 7th in the June ranking. KFC’s ads are perceived as some of the funniest in New Zealand. And thanks to the elements used, there is no question who the spots are aimed at. Leanne Too, KFC’s marketing director, says: “We love to create advertising in a way that is KFC distinctive and relevant to Kiwis, bringing out the crave, humour and to liven up the moment in the everyday.” The company is building relevance through monitoring New Zealand’s social media trends to understand what is resonating with Kiwis; tapping into cultural moments that are part of everyday life. Apparently, the company is doing a great job.
WE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON
Although Czechs and New Zealanders are separated by almost 18,000 kilometres and completely different traditions and cultures, there are common features that both nations share and which are reflected in the TV ads of both countries. In addition to a highly developed advertising industry and a strong sense of national identity, New Zealanders are similar to us, Czechs, in that they have a great sense of humour and place great emphasis on family and togetherness. Most advertising campaigns in both countries focus on emotional appeals to the target group. Unlike the hurried Czechs, however, the Kiwis have a more relaxed approach to life, a more leisurely pace of work and a deep commitment to old-world values, and this is naturally evident in their advertising spots. Not to mention the exoticism that Maori culture brings to their ads. Despite these differences, Czech ads could work in New Zealand - and vice versa. So why not take inspiration from the land of the Kiwis?
SOME STATS IN CONCLUSION
- Retail sector’s spend on TV advertising in New Zealand was USD 110.45 million in 2019. In 2020, a decline to USD 83.21 million was recorded. In 2021, the negative trend was reversed, and TV advertising saw an increase to USD 98.86 million.
- According to a 2018 study by TVNZ, linear TV (TVNZ, TVNZ 2, Three, Prim Sky) ranked first in terms of media viewing, with 53% of users watching it regularly, 25% occasionally and 16% rarely. YouTube came second, followed by streaming services (Netflix, Lightbox), Recorded TV and On Demand TV.
- According to statista.com, the forecast for traditional TV ad spend in 2023 is estimated at USD 339.80 million.
- Connected TV is now the centre of home entertainment. The relatively new FAST concept is also on the rise. In addition to Samsung TV Plus, it will soon be brought to New Zealand by Warner Bros and Discovery.
WHERE ARE WE GOING NEXT?
Next time, we will head to the country of the Bond girl from Tomorrow Never Dies, dancer and actress Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng, who is also the star of many TV campaigns. The country where you can find the highest McDonald’s restaurant ever. At 282 metres, the revolving restaurant is located on the Menara TV Tower in Kuala Lumpur, which at 421 metres is the seventh tallest tower in the world. It is time to pack up. Malaysia is waiting!
Source: screenvoice.cz
