 America’s Next Top Model Showcases New Zealand
(New Zealand) - May 2010
The filming of America’s Next Top Model in Auckland was the first major initiative in a new joint marketing partnership between Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand, which aims to double U.S visitors by 2014. The hit reality TV series, hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks, sees the final six contestants in ‘cycle 14’ arrive in Auckland to a rousing Maori welcome atop Mt Eden, followed by a series of model challenges and ‘go sees’ with local fashion designers.
“Reality television is huge in the U.S and America’s Next Top Model has generated excellent exposure for Auckland in such a key visitor market. The show highlights Auckland’s cutting-edge fashion industry and provides viewers with a taste of what our diverse region has to offer,” says Graeme Osborne, chief executive of Tourism Auckland.
However, not everyone agrees, with the show attracting criticism for its portrayal of Kiwi stereotypes. Point in case being that judges Nigel Barker and Jay Manuel arrive on a tractor to the location for a shoot, where contestants pose with a large, woolly ram named Prince. The weather is also generally miserable throughout filming and one contestant thinks New Zealand is somewhere above Canada.
“We need to show that we are a bit more sophisticated. We should highlight our cafes, nightlife and urban environments, rather than just beautiful natural scenery. I think that would only appeal to a small audience,” says Jenny Stokes, a senior lecturer at AUT.
Thus far, reviews in the U.S have been mixed. But, the Baltimore Sun was particularly scathing: ‘The models were jet-setting to the fashion capital of New Zealand? Seriously, Tyra, how much did that country’s tourism office pay you to put it in the same sentence as haute couture?’.
While the episodes filmed in Auckland have already aired in the U.S, we’ll have to wait until the end of the year, or early-2011, to make our own verdict.
Image: America's Next Top Model in New Zealand
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