Media Release
Date 8.8.2011
BBC spotlights Wellington region in reality TV show
Filming in Wellington, are from left: BBC producer Cat Hoskin, cameraman Jon Bowden, potential home owner Rob Boraston
from Devon, Bayleys Wellington residential sales person Denise Landow, and David Andrews, from Devon
Wellington and the Kapiti Coast are to receive a multi-million dollar profile on prime-time British TV – thanks to a
reality TV series showcasing people looking at immigrating ‘down-under’ to start new lives.
The TV show is called Wanted DownUnder, and focuses on average British couples and families wanting to start new lives in New Zealand. The BBC flies the
potential immigrants out to New Zealand for a week and introduces them to the Kiwi way of life – profiling lifestyle
options, employment opportunities, and a range of homes they can afford.
A BBC production crew has been quietly filming in Wellington and Kapiti Coast this month – hosting families and couples
at various locations, and showing them potential Wellington lifestyles should they choose to immigrate here.
Leading New Zealand real estate company Bayleys worked with the BBC to introduce the British immigrants to a range of
residential properties during their stays. The Bayleys ‘open home’ tours will play a prominent part in the Wanted DownUnder TV series when it screens on the BBC early next year.
Bayleys Wellington residential manager Babette Newman the company’s filming arrangement with the BBC delivered an
outstanding opportunity to promote Wellington and Kapiti Coast properties to a massive UK audience of some two million
viewers.
“This has been an incredible opportunity for promoting the greater Wellington region – spotlighting what a beautiful
city and province we live in, our open-hearted nature in the capital, our magnificent scenery, and how easy it is to
begin a new life here and buy a home,” said Ms Newman.
“The exposure the Wellington region, and New Zealand, gets from this show when it screens in the UK is worth tens of
millions of dollars. It’s the sort of publicity New Zealand’s tourism bodies could never afford in their budgets… that’s
how big this will be.
“Bayleys has been honoured to have worked so closely with the BBC throughout the Wanted DownUnder series. Bayleys has profiled a range of Kiwi properties worth between $600,000 and $800,000 - showing British audiences
what their pound can buy when they immigrate to New Zealand.
“Marketing opportunities like this rarely come along. Bayleys was justifiably excited about adding this promotional
activity to our already strong international marketing campaigns – adding value to our customer relationships and
bringing in a whole new category of potential buyer.”
The properties to be featured on the show are as varied as Bayleys’ extensive portfolio. Among the home attributes on
show during the various episodes are trendy city fringe dwellings overlooking Wellington Harbour, through to a
substantial family home set on a hillside on the Kapiti Coast.
There is the potential that the current series of Wanted DownUnder being filmed in and around the Wellington region could appear on New Zealand TV screens some time in the new year.
Bayleys’ promotion in Wanted DownUnder will complement the real estate agency’s other UK marketing activities, which include:
• A substantial presence at the Opportunities New Zealand Expos which ran in London and Leeds last month. Both
events attracted more than 8,000 prospective new immigrants keen on learning more about the lifestyle opportunities and
residential properties on offer in New Zealand.
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• Distribution of Bayleys Global magazine- a full colour glossy publication produced specifically for the UK and European markets to profile and sell
New Zealand properties.
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