Taika Waititi showcases aroha for Aotearoa in new Tourism New Zealand campaign via Augusto

One of New Zealand’s best-known exports is now helping one of New Zealand’s top export earners. Taika Waititi, well known New Zealand born filmmaker and actor is helping promote tourism in new content created by Tourism New Zealand and Augusto.

While in New Zealand filming HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death Season 2, Waititi spared some time to support New Zealand tourism.

Directed by Jackie van Beek, ‘No Place Like It On Earth’ showcases a range of sights and experiences travellers can find in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Says René de Monchy, chief executive, Tourism New Zealand: “Tourism is an important contributor to New Zealand, it’s one of our top export earners and is supporting sector and country recovery. Competition for visitors is fierce and New Zealand needs to work hard to encourage visitation and stand out. We partnered with well-known director and actor Taika Waititi to create a piece of content that promotes Aotearoa New Zealand.”

The content, in typical comedic Waititi style, showcases a range of New Zealand locations and experiences including whitewater rafting in Rotorua, a scenic flight over Mount Tarawera, dolphin watching in Kaikōura and wine tasting in Auckland. It will be used across Tourism New Zealand and HBO Max channels.

Adds de Monchy: “We are working hard to attract high quality visitors who will positively contribute to New Zealand’s culture, society, nature and economy and this content will target those audiences in key markets to get them thinking about destination New Zealand.”

Says Taika Waititi, Academy Award-winning writer, director, actor, producer and New Zealand native: “I always tell people you can go surfing in the morning and then drive a couple of hours and be skiing in the evening [in New Zealand]. I don’t think there’s anywhere else on earth where you can do that. It has everything.”

Says Adam Thompson, executive creative director at Augusto: “This was a wonderfully dizzying experience, getting to collaborate with so many amazing people, from Tourism New Zealand to Taika and Jackie, on a campaign that shows off the wonders of New Zealand in a fun and silly way.”

van Beek, the film’s director and writer who also appears in the content says: “I had a ball on this Tourism New Zealand campaign. There’s nothing I enjoy more than pretending to be myself bickering with Taika over what makes a good director.”

Client – Tourism New Zealand 
Agency – Augusto 
Writer and Director – Jackie van Beek 
Stills – Graeme Murray 
Post Production – Augusto 
Sound – Bespoke Post