A blog for the New Zealand creative advertising industry, now at www.campaignbrief.com/nz. Email news to: michael@campaignbrief.com

Friday, February 17, 2006

Paul Catmur drops his pants


This from Admedia, NZ:

DDB Auckland ECD Paul Catmur has been forced to finally "reveal" the story behind the staged air accident during nzgirl’s stunt at this year’s Big Day Out.
Today's NBR reports it has "obtained" an email sent by Catmur to the Civil Aviation Authority, in which the DDB ECD says, "we sold a dummy".
The paper says Catmur (right) was responding to a CAA demand for explanations about the hoax, which was (and continues to be) promoted at http://www.nzgirl.co.nz/articles/5981 where visitors can view streaming amcam-style footage (clearly labelled "BDO Stunt") of a naked "victim" writhing in pain.
"We have enough to do without dealing with this [possible "unreported" air-accidents] nonsense," a CAA spokesman huffed to the paper.
"This year," Catmur says in the email, "everybody expected us to do something -- but we did nothing other than spread an urban myth that our stunt had gone wrong."
Read all about it in today’s NBR (it’s not on their website). You can also follow the continuing story at http://nzcreativecircle.blogspot.com/2006/02/nz-girl-newsflash.html.

posted by lynchy @ 12:08 PM

11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I've had great fun slagging this off. Truth is, you're gotta try crazy things.

3:04 am NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you've

3:05 am NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Full credit for trying something different but hasn't it missed the boat?

Firstly, how many teenage girls (the target audience of NZ Girl) would read the NBR, creative industry blogs or any of the other obscure media that has in any shape or form mentioned this stunt?

Secondly, how many business people, or those reading these media reports, will actually bother to go to the NZ Girl website? It would be interesting to see if a short burst of traffic would be enough to convince business to advertise with NZ Girl given the very short and obscure coverage this gets.

Oh well, it's amazing what you can do with a well edited showreel, especially since most media reports are fabricated. It wouldn't suprise me if it won an award even though the client will have totally lost out on any returns.

10:57 am NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sure nzgirl.co.nz will fill you all in on the stats re. hits and dfownloads from their target audience once they've finished repairing the melted servers. And it will duly be published in the business press. watch that space.

11:28 am NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, they've probably paid the actors to spend all day generating hits on the website and fake subscriptions. Great stuff!

11:45 am NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear last blooger, mr 11.45am

Please take you cynical, tired, old school bullshit to another bloog.

Or show us what you've done lately that hasn't been done before. Go on.... show me what you have got in there.

We have a new policy here at nzcc - to borrow from an old song " accentuate the positive....." You may know the rest.

Under these rules, you would not, we're afraid, make it through the first heats.

Have a dull, moaning, loonely weekend. I'm going to the beach to sunbath in the naked. Bye bye


Heidi

1:37 pm NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Calm down Heidi. It was a fair comment. All the blog posts and radio callers were actors.

3:26 pm NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Uh, oh - me thinks Heidi the temp is not really a hot Spanish tv host but an NZ Girl!

Is anyone else sensing that NZ Girl is just the beginning of a global push to make men redundant? How much bashing can we take? As soon as we've all banked enough sperm they'll be getting rid of us and banning rugby and cricket... eek!

12:41 pm NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

moooahhhh

12:42 pm NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now your talking. Banning rugby is a bloody great idea. I can't stand the game. And cricket... who cares, I'd ruther watch paint dry or even more exciting, watch trains go by.

8:49 am NZDT

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Go the hurricanes!

11:59 am NZDT

 

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