Airline To Middle- Earth Unveils Tourism’s Biggest Flying Billboard
Air New Zealand today rolled out its biggest tourism promotion yet – a Boeing 747-400 emblazoned with “The Lord of the
Rings” motion picture trilogy imagery that will take the Middle-earth message to the world.
Spearheading the airline’s new promotional identity as “Airline to Middle-earth”, Air New Zealand Chief Operating
Officer Andrew Miller described the promotion as “a visionary demonstration of Air New Zealand’s commitment to drive the
New Zealand tourism message around the world”
As the largest private sector promoter of tourism in the international arena, Air New Zealand developed a two year joint
venture with movie makers New Line Cinema to link movie publicity to New Zealand tourism.
The aircraft image is the most visible expression of that partnership, but is underpinned by extensive marketing work in
the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan and Singapore – prime sources of tourists to
New Zealand.
A second aircraft, a Boeing 767, will be launched with different Lord of the Rings imagery in January and fly
predominantly on trans-Tasman and Pacific routes. The massive Boeing 747 flying billboard, unveiled today, will
undertake its own epic journey of almost four million kilometres during the 12 months it remains on the aircraft –
that’s the equivalent of 96 times around the globe.
It will visit London approximately 45 times during the year, Los Angeles 165 times, Sydney 50 times and Japan 56 times.
Weighing 60 kilograms, the giant decal will be subjected to temperatures ranging from - 60C through to 60C between
high-altitude cruising and sitting on hot airport tarmacs in mid-summer sun.
Passengers onboard tonight’s flight to Los Angeles will each be presented with a personally autographed Lord of the
Rings Locations Guidebook by Ian Brodie, Air New Zealand’s Lord of the Rings Ambassador. This book, already in its third
reprint since last month’s launch, is currently New Zealand’s number one best seller.
Over the next year, passengers flying onboard the Frodo plane will see a thirteen minute video highlighting locations
used in the movie followed by a trailer for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and also receive a special souvenir
postcard.
In a year’s time the giant decal will be replaced by other The Lord of the Rings imagery – this time from the final
movie in the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.