A quirky video about a conspiracy to omit New Zealand from world maps has gone viral on social media – after borrowing a tagline from the most contentious Australian tourism advert ever made.
The new Tourism NZ video clocked up almost half a million views on Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern’s social media account within a day, but has failed to elicit the kind of backlash that 12 years ago saw the Australian ad featuring the same swear words banned in the UK and Canada.
Ardern posted the video featuring herself and comedian Rhys Darby on her social media account last week with the comment: “Admit it. You’ve noticed the absence of New Zealand on world maps before too.
“Some call it a conspiracy some call it negligent … either way it’s time for a wee campaign.”
The funny video features Darby exclaiming “Where the bloody hell are ya?” over a pin board full of New Zealand-less world maps.
Darby suggests the glaring omission is a ploy by Australians to steal the lion’s share of tourists heading Down Under.
He also muses it could be a conspiracy by the English to negate the power of the All Blacks and the French to counter the appeal of New Zealand wines – or just because New Zealand is a “bit of a fiddly-looking shaped country, a bit like a half-eaten lamb chop”.
New Zealand is larger than the UK and over two-thirds the size of Japan and Germany, yet has been missed off numerous maps of the world for many years – including those displayed by the Smithsonian, the BBC, the United Nations, IKEA and on the board of the game Risk.
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