Tourism New Zealand signs new advertising deal

The prestigious Tourism New Zealand advertising account has been won in a joint pitch by ad agencies J Walter Thompson International NZ (JWT) and Assignment.

The account - which channels the bulk of Tourism New Zealand's $30 million annual marketing budget - was contested by Saatchi & Saatchi, Colenso BBDO, DDB and Wybin TBWA.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said JWT and Assignment had clearly demonstrated their potential to develop the highly successful 100% Pure New Zealand campaign.

"All the agencies did a good job with it ... I think any one of them could have represented us," said Hickton.

The deal clincher for the winners came when he asked for presentations on how the agencies would handle an Australian advertising campaign that the tourism organisation planned. "The one by JWT was the best."

The new agencies will have to work within the boundaries of the long-running Pure New Zealand campaign, which began in 1999 under Tourism New Zealand's previous agency, M&C Saatchi.

"We have no intention of changing the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign," said Hickton.

Tourism New Zealand has spent about $25 million a year on the campaign since its inception, and it has frequently won international plaudits. Visitor numbers to New Zealand have increased by more than 50 per cent since the Pure New Zealand advertising began.

The campaign's success was believed to be one of the reasons M&C won Tourism Australia's account in July. Its pitch for the estimated A$60 million ($65 million) Australian account led to a conflict of interest that resulted in Tourism NZ's decision to find a new agency.

"It was disappointing," said Hickton. "We had no intention of moving, we were happy."

But he was "very positive" about the new agencies, which will be asked to work on a Japanese campaign and to promote New Zealand during the next Chelsea Flower Show in Britain.