Ad campaign gets head start

Andre Nesbitt films the progress of the hair cuts of his friends Ben Craw and Farrel Lyman in an Air New Zealand promotion in Christchurch on Tuesday. Photo by John McCombe/NZPA.
Andre Nesbitt films the progress of the hair cuts of his friends Ben Craw and Farrel Lyman in an Air New Zealand promotion in Christchurch on Tuesday. Photo by John McCombe/NZPA.
People are using their heads in the latest Air New Zealand advertising campaign, launched in Christchurch today.

Hundreds of people flocked to Victoria Square to apply to be one of 75 to have their heads shaved and temporarily tattooed for the company's Cranial Billboards campaign.

The airline said they have been "inundated" with emails and phone calls from people worldwide wanting to be involved.

Today's casting call will be followed up by events in Wellington on Wednesday and Auckland on Thursday to find up to 75 human billboards.

The campaign will see men and women prepared to shave their hair off and carry an advertising message on the back of their head for two weeks, and receive $1000 for their efforts.

The message "The End of the Domestic Check-in Queue Is Coming" refers to the new check-in process that will be introduced at Auckland domestic airport in late October, followed by Christchurch and Wellington domestic airports.

The 25 Christchurch "billboards" and four Air NZ staff were shaved on stage in front of a 450-strong crowd, and the back of their heads branded with the temporary henna message that will be visible for about two weeks.

Air NZ's general manager marketing Steve Bayliss said they had been "amazed" by the interest in the campaign.

"We've even had people walking into our offices overseas wanting to be involved.

"It's important that we communicate our great new airport changes to as many customers as possible and we know our Cranial Billboards will help spread the word far and wide."

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