MTS Wins Two Silver Awards At Promax World Awards

29 June 2005

Maori Television Wins Two Silver Awards At Promax World Awards

Maori Television has anchored its place in the international broadcasting industry by winning two silver awards at the 2005 PROMAX World Gold Awards held in New York on Thursday June 23 2005.

Maori Television’s Promotions department has won a silver award in the Sound Design category for its on-air promotion of the NZ Maori vs US Churchill Cup rugby tournament that was broadcast live on Maori Television in June 2004. The second silver award was awarded in the Promotional Animation category for on-air promotions targeting children to learn waiata and colours in te reo Maori.

The PROMAX Awards are recognised around the globe as the highest accolade for promotion and marketing professionals working in electronic media. They are presented to companies and individuals whose work is judged by a panel of promotion and marketing professionals based in Australia, the US and Europe. Using three measures – overall creativity, production quality, and results in achieving marketing objectives – the judges then determine winners over all categories.

The NZ Maori vs US Churchill Cup rugby tournament spot was filmed on a cold winter’s evening at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany. The producers wanted to reflect the traditional warrior challenge, coupled with a contemporary feel.

“What do you do if you’ve just launched an indigenous television channel, have got no footage, but have to promote the biggest Maori rugby event of the year which just happens to be in Canada? The decision was made to merge traditional Maori with a modern day rugby player professional. The team ‘borrowed’ the second largest rugby stadium in New Zealand for five hours on a winter’s evening, persuaded him to strip down, dress in a warrior costume and make like Jonah Lomu. The result? NZ Maori won and the programmers were cheering!” says Maori Television promotions manager Sheila Byrne.

Meanwhile, the creative challenge to create an on-air promotion that educated children from all races on colours and songs in te reo Maori was again met by Maori Television’s promotions department.

“The promos team pooled its collective talents. One wrote the story, another composed and wrote the music and another brought the promo to life with graphics. As Big Bird says, it’s not the size of the bird – it’s the stuffing that counts!” adds Byrne.

Maori Television chief executive officer Jim Mather says “these prestigious awards reflect the creativity, vibrancy and uniqueness of Maori Television. We are proud to be representing New Zealand broadcasting at the highest international level.”

ENDS

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