Air New Zealand revealed as official airline of Middle-earth in The Hobbit tie-up
Air New Zealand has announced a global two-movie partnership with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again; which will include a branded airplane and a special edition of the inflight safety video.
The airline has confirmed it is working with Weta Workshop to turn a Boeing 777-300 into a flying billboard for the first movie, while a Boeing 777-200 will be used for the second movie.
Mike Tod, Air New Zealand general manager for marketing and communications, said: “We are excited at the prospect of so many international visitors travelling to Wellington for the 28 November 2012 world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
“New Zealand is clearly established as the home of Middle-earth and Air New Zealand will bring the magic to life for travellers.
“This partnership follows on naturally from the success of Air New Zealand’s relationship with The Lord of the Rings trilogy in raising New Zealand’s profile as an international travel destination.
“Similarly, we will be putting millions of dollars of marketing behind the two films based on The Hobbit to promote New Zealand in new and innovative ways across the globe.
“The use of social media has grown exponentially since The Lord of the Rings trilogy and will play a big part in the way we’ll be connecting fans with both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again and destination Middle-earth over the coming two years, including a series of exclusive competitions and unique fan opportunities.”
Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. Pictures’ president of worldwide marketing, added: “Just as Peter Jackson is able to transport audiences to the magical world of Middle-earth, Air New Zealand brings people to the breathtaking landscape that has been home to these epic productions. The promotions planned by Air New Zealand in support of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are both eye-catching and innovative and we look forward to collaborating with them on the campaigns for both films.”