Air NZ takes WOW support below the line

Wearable-art awards sponsor Air NZ will use email to encourage customers to concoct their own creations.

Air New Zealand hopes tapping into the creative side of its customers will help spread the word about wearable art.

The airline's 14-year-old sponsorship of the Montana World of WearableArt Awards is going below the line this year with a "viral" email campaign.

In keeping with the nature of the awards, an email to Airpoints members will direct them to a website where they can create up to 48 wearable art-style designs using artwork contributed by students at the Freelance Animation School.

"Because [WearableArt] is such an innovative thing, we wanted to do something a little different," said Air NZ spokeswoman Pamela Wong.

Visitors to the site can mix-and-match landmarks and natural attractions from eight regions to create their concepts, with budding designers encouraged to forward them to family and friends. A prize of travel to the awards in Wellington also provides appeal.

Wong said the project, led by direct marketing agency AIM Proximity, had worked well for the company creatively and cost-wise. The Freelance Animation School was chosen based on its work for other commercial projects, including TV programme bro'Town. Students were paid for their designs.

ON THE WEB