A 23 metre lenticular display blending the fantasy of
Middle-earth with the reality of New Zealand, will greet visitors
as they arrive at Auckland International Airport for the next three
months.
The Tourism New Zealand installation welcomes visitors "to a
place where fantasy comes to life" and encourages them to share
their Middle-earth experiences
through social media channels at #realmiddleearth.
It is part of Tourism New Zealand's global marketing campaign
aimed at turning the attention New Zealand will gain by starring in
The Hobbit: An
Unexpected Journey, into travel.
The lenticular display shifts between new illustrations, created
by three talented designers at Weta Workshop and photographic
images of New Zealand tourism experiences.
The illustrations take scenes from Tourism New Zealand's
television and cinema advertisement that feature the characters
and cultures of Middle-earth, and transform them into real New
Zealand scenes and experiences, to illustrate the reality of a New
Zealand holiday.
Chief Executive Kevin Bowler says the display aims to inspire
travellers to take in more of New Zealand's magical landscapes and
activities, and to discover that there is a whole world of
experiences to be had and people to meet within the movie-scene
style landscapes.
Weta Workshop Design Studio Manager Rik Athorne say: "Having the
opportunity to explore more areas of Middle-earth has been
wonderful experience. We really feel that the 100%
Middle-earth campaign captures the fantastical magic of New Zealand
and hope it will continue to inspire people to visit and experience
it for themselves."
Weta Workshop Concept Designer Paul Tobin says: "Typically our
designs are focussed to the moments of the journey that are touched
upon by the script. With 100% Middle-earth we had the
pleasure of venturing off the script and capturing aspects of
Middle-earth inspired by New Zealand's beauty and moments that may
be happening off camera."
A second Weta Workshop dwarf installation, which features large
statues and depictions from the film, was also unveiled today and
aims to stimulate the imagination of travellers and form part of
the hype around the movie.
The Weta Workshop dwarf installation was designed by Weta concept
designers Chris Guise and Rebekah Tisch, and incorporates two 16ft
(5m) tall dwarf sculptures and four 20ft x 9ft (6.5m x 3m) archways
in typical dwarven architectural design.
The installation will be in place until March 2013.
