New Zealand’s national bird is the kiwi, and Air New Zealand makes use of it as well. After all, New Zealanders are often referred to as Kiwis.
The irony for the airline of course is that kiwis can’t fly. But Air New Zealand has turned that on its head, creating a video showing that in order to fly a kiwi can fly on Air New Zealand.
They have a bunch of background on the kiwi. The argument is that birds didn’t need to fly to avoid predators on land in New Zealand. They’re fast runners, but their population is dwindling due to predators nonetheless. Just like the yields on some of Air New Zealands long haul routes. Rimshot.
Sam Neill voices Pete the Kiwi bird. They tell folks he’s the guy you know from Jurassic Park but to me he’s one of the stars of the 1996 film Children of the Revolution about Stalin’s love child living in Australia.
Hi Gary, as a transplanted Kiwi living in the US this made my day!
Thanks…However, the Air New Zealand symbol is not a kiwi but the Koru…
“The Air New Zealand symbol is a Māori koru. It is a stylised representation of a fern frond unfolding, and signifies new life, growth and renewal. The koru was used on the prows of the early Polynesian canoes that sailed the Pacific with its many islands. … .”
I think the Kiwi would look great as well!
Sam Neill was in so many great films and TV movies. To me, he was the star of the underrated 1991 film, ‘Until the End of the World’, a movie that fortold talking GPS in cars, handheld internet devices, Skype and huge flat screen LCD TVs, none of which existed in 1991. Unfortunately this brilliant movie (and incredible soundtrack with U2/Peter Gabriel/Lou Reed, etc) is near impossible to find anymore. But here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozwu8XxQ-dI