UFO brings cheaper power to Auckland

MEDIA RELEASE
19 May 2014

Cheaper Energy has landed in Auckland
Power company uses an unidentified flying object to bring cheaper power to Auckland

Aucklanders worried that they were seeing things over the weekend can rest assured that aliens have not actually landed in their city. Strange lights and reports of an unidentified flying object in the sky were actually part of an attention-grabbing campaign from Energy Online.

Energy Online, a retail electricity provider, has been flying under the radar in the Auckland market for the past few years and decided a UFO - actually a modified octocopter - was needed to capture the attention of Aucklanders about an exciting player in the city’s electricity market.

Jason Christini-Crawford, Business Manager of Energy Online says, “We know that Aucklanders are particularly savvy about energy prices and will cheerfully switch power companies to reduce their monthly bills.

“Our modelling shows that electricity customers in Auckland could save on average up to $218 a year by switching to us. The good news for Aucklanders is that while Energy Online is a no frills business we don’t economise on our award-winning service. In fact, we’ve been voted best electricity provider for two years running in the prestigious Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards.”

Photos and videos of the UFO sightings went viral on social media over the weekend and ‘energy circles’ dotted on pavements around Auckland are now enticing consumers to sign up with Energy Online and enter a draw to win a share of $30,000 worth of free power.

The octocopter – an eight-rotor remote control drone, was modified to look just like a UFO when flying at night. In testing for months, the octocopter’s shell was made by a Raglan company with pieces imported from around the world including hundreds of LED lights arranged in three rings to give the UFO effect. It was flown by a commercial pilot who has been flying similar systems, although not quite as elaborate, for many years. The CAA had also given approval for the activity and emergency and civilian agencies had been alerted.

“We wanted to grab the attention of the Auckland market with this out-of-the-ordinary launch and let consumers know that cheaper energy had well and truly landed. We are keen to grow our market share here as we have in the Kapiti Coast, Hawkes Bay, Tauranga and Nelson areas. The launch proved the mystery and intrigue surrounding UFOs is alive and well in the city of sails,” JasonChristini-Crawford says.

To find out more visit www.energyonline.co.nz

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