Advertising man seeks port in a storm

By JAMES GARDINER

Advertising executive Dave Walden can hardly believe the publicity that has surrounded this week's launch of the unofficial Team New Zealand support group BlackHeart.

"I wish I could have concocted that for some of the paying clients that I've got, because they'd love me."

The man behind advertising campaigns such as ASB Bank's Goldstein series said he was so taken aback at the reaction that he tried to call a halt this week.

BlackHearts or blackguards? It depends on whom you talk to.

The "media feeding frenzy" Mr Walden refers to blew up because initial reports suggested the group would use dirty tricks - possibly criminal acts - to upset teams vying to challenge for the America's Cup.

In particular, they would target the sailors who abandoned Team New Zealand for foreign syndicates. Not only that, the police were watching the "radical" group, and Walden would not name his co-conspirators.

For an ad-man, you would think Mr Walden could have understood the reaction. A story of intrigue, skulduggery and big-bucks boat racing was always going to work.

By Tuesday, when the Mercedes, BMWs and Corporate Cabs started pulling up outside Sails restaurant in Westhaven, bringing 100 invited guests to the BlackHeart launch, the cat was not only out of the bag but up a tree surrounded by film crews.

In breezed politicians, sports stars, media celebrities and the well-heeled of Auckland's waterfront.

The baying media were kept at bay for three hours. This was a private lunch.

Finally it could be revealed who the BlackHearts actually were: Former All Black Stu Wilson, journalist and broadcaster Bill Ralston, cinema owner Barry Everard and real estate agent Bruce Whillans.

Leaving the question: Who is Dave Walden?



At first he was reluctant to comment.

"This is not about me, it's about BlackHeart, a group of people, not a one-man band.

"This is a private thing I'm doing in a private capacity. I don't want my commercial clients [involved]. I'm having a bit of fun on the side."

Aged 51, he lives in Herne Bay with his wife of 27 years, Annie ("she deserves a medal") and they have two adult children.

A former managing director of Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland, he worked in Melbourne for eight years and for the past five has been managing director of Whybin TBWA.

He was closely involved in the early years of Act NZ and did the party's advertising campaign last election.

Listeners to bFM might be familiar with him in the role of Dr Devo on the Friday Nite Allen, which the radio station describes as "the crappiest show of the new generation".

"Everyone thinks this is some kind of highly engineered, highly disciplined group," says Mr Walden. "This is a group of blokes who have a beer together at HQ [bar] down on Beaumont St and thought, 'This would be a good idea, and let's see if it can fly'."



Police say there has been nothing to substantiate the claims that they had heard of threats against former Team NZ members.

The BlackHeart plan is to raise some money, buy some billboards, bumper stickers and flags, and set up a website. The lunch cost the five men $10,000, according to Mr Whillans, but they got $80,000 in donations.

Mr Walden said their sole objective was to give Team New Zealand a true home-town advantage.

"Maybe in this country we've got too forgiving ... These other guys have made some choices but they're now the competition, and there's one team who's up against them all."

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