The Middle-earth connection

In the last of a series on how New Zealand sells itself as a travel destination in the US, tourism writer SIMON HENDERY* looks at The Lord of the Rings as a marketing tool.

It was typical of Air New Zealand's recent run of bad luck.

The day the airline chose for a star-studded Los Angeles launch of its newly emblazoned Lord of the Rings plane was also the first day of torrential rain for months.

As the throng of Rings stars huddled under a soggy marquee on the tarmac of LAX airport, the official speeches were almost drowned out by the downpour.

But the conditions did nothing to curb the stars' enthusiasm to promote the movie, and with it New Zealand.

Speeches over, they charged out into the storm for a photo-shoot in front of Frodo, the decorated 747.

Afterwards, as usual, there were glowing words about their love of New Zealand from the likes of Hobbits Elijah Wood and Billy Boyd.

Such celebrity endorsements are invaluable in promoting New Zealand as a travel destination, says Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton.

But reaching the point where New Zealand can market itself as the home of Middle-earth has involved a long period of relationship building with film company New Line Cinema, which owns the rights to The Lord of the Rings.

"We had to argue for the notion of [promoting] New Zealand as the home of Middle-earth," says Hickton.

"Understandably, the cinema company thoughts were: would it detract from the film? How would it help in terms of the promotion, because it's supposed to be a mystical place?

"They had to understand us first - that we weren't going to damage the property, that we valued it as much as they did."

Hickton says the positive impact New Zealand had on the film's stars also helped to build New Line's enthusiasm for allowing associated promotion of the country.

Endorsements from cast members and other Lord of the Rings material now feature on Tourism New Zealand's website (www.purenz.com).

Hickton says that after a Fellowship of the Ring interactive module was added to the site, the number of user sessions nearly doubled almost overnight to 140,000 a month.

Now Air New Zealand is following suit with a new promotional identity as "Airline to Middle-earth" as part of a two-year marketing venture with New Line.

One of the airline's 747s - christened Frodo - has been decked out in giant Rings imagery and passengers will see a 13-minute video highlighting locations used in the movie plus a trailer of The Two Towers.

"This is a smart strategic move to link the massive global appeal of the motion picture trilogy with Air New Zealand," says the company's vice-president, the Americas, Peter Walsh.

But will the link with Middle-earth result in more US tourists booking holidays to New Zealand? The travel industry believes it will.

Several companies are offering Rings-themed tour packages to New Zealand, and the offerings are becoming more attractive with New Line agreeing to open sites such as the Hobbiton set near Matamata to the public.

Wayne Stenning, the Los Angeles-based president of travel wholesaler Newmans South Pacific Vacations, says the company had sold 150 Lord of the Rings-themed fly-drive packages (airfares and car rentals) before the US premiere of The Two Towers.

Arthur Frommer, an industry veteran who is editor-in-chief of New York magazine Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, says the movies have had an impact, especially with younger travellers, and he expects bookings to New Zealand to surge again with the release of the second film.

Budget Travel senior editor Jason Cochran says US travellers are increasingly looking for "pristine" holiday locations and the film trilogy has helped to differentiate New Zealand from Australia as a destination.

New Zealand's profile will get a further boost in 12 months when international journalists flock here for the world premiere of the third movie in the trilogy, The Return of the King, in Wellington.

* Simon Hendery travelled to the US as a guest of Tourism New Zealand.

Herald feature: Lord of the Rings