Tourism New Zealand Takes Over You Tube

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EMBARGOED TILL 1AM TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2007

Tourism New Zealand Takes Over You Tube

Tourism New Zealand is staging a global road block, taking over the YouTube homepage for 24-hours.

The takeover starts at 9.00pm on the West Coast of the United States on September 17 (4pm Tuesday 18th in New Zealand).

The deal between YouTube and Tourism New Zealand includes 24-hour ownership of the paid video space on the homepage, followed by three months of a New Zealand branded channel.

For a day, the YouTube homepage will show Tourism New Zealand’s new 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, launched in August.

“Tourism New Zealand has to be first in to embrace new technology if we are to stay ahead of the competition,” Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said.

“YouTube is a great example of how a small country can use technology to its advantage,” Mr Hickton added.

To celebrate, Tourism New Zealand and TVNZ have teamed up to show the new television commercial on New Zealand television during One News at 6pm tonight [Tuesday].

The new 100% Pure New Zealand campaign focuses on New Zealand as the youngest country on earth.

According to historians, New Zealand was the last habitable landmass on earth to be settled by humankind.

Tourism New Zealand also linked up with the creative talent at Wellington-based Weta Digital to celebrate New Zealand’s culture and history by animating the Maori legend of Maui hauling the North Island from the sea.

During the next three months, Tourism New Zealand will be constantly refreshing its New Zealand channel with new content, including mini-documentaries.

The site will also link to TVNZ’s TV On Demand.

It will also show footage being put together to support Tourism New Zealand’s online rugby club – The Front Row Rugby Club - being led by former All Black, Tana Umaga. The club is part of Tourism New Zealand’s build up to hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

Background

Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the leader in online video, and the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience.

In November of 2006, YouTube was acquired by Google and continues to operate as an independent subsidiary.

YouTube has about 10 million impressions a day.

Between 200,000 and one million videos are uploaded each day on YouTube.

ends

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