Wicked customers censor van slogans

Rotorua's holiday camps would think twice about allowing camper vans with offensive slogans on to their grounds while customers in Wicked Campers seen in Rotorua seem to be self-censoring their vehicles.

Australian-owned Wicked Campers' slogans - such as "drink till she's pretty!" and "smoking is cool" - have come under fire for being misogynistic and offensive.

Wicked Campers has been dumped from the Department of Conservation's tourist information listing for those wanting to hire campervans.

Photo / Matthew Martin

Associate Minister of Tourism Paula Bennett has suggested the Advertising Standards Authority be given added powers to control car signage and is looking into whether local councils could do anything about them.

A van load of Australian tourists in a Wicked Camper spoken to by the Rotorua Daily Post near the Lakefront this week said they had covered a slogan on their van with tape. They said the slogan was offensive and they did not want to be associated with it or allow children to see it either.

Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park owner Sheryl Murray said some slogans were offensive and she tried not to look at them.

"And I ask the guests if they are happy with what's on them as well. I think they need to come off the road actually. They were funny when they started out, they are not funny now."

She would consider asking people not to camp there if the slogans were too over the top.

Holdens Bay Holiday Park manager Marianne Mostert said if a driver of a camper with an offensive slogan came to her camp she would ask them to leave. "It's a family park and there's plenty of kids around. We would definitely turn them away."

Destination Rotorua chief executive Mark Rawson said while the camper van market was important to Rotorua, "this particular company's slogans have been the source of some complaints over time".

"Along with other public authorities the council are looking into the options available at a local government level."