The Wakatipu Basin has been transformed into a mythical Swiss village for an overseas chocolate advertisement.
Milka's major 2016 commercial "The Strong Man'' was shot in multiple locations in the resort, Arrowtown and Glenorchy in November.
Grant Major, who won an Oscar for his work on The Lord of the Rings, was production designer and more than 250 locals were on set as extras.
In the one and a-half minute advertisement, a young boy visits a circus in the Swiss Alps.
Auckland production firm Big Pictures Company handled the six-day shoot for the US chocolate brand, which was founded in Switzerland.
Big Pictures boss William Grieve said: "Lillaberg, where the scripts are set, is a mythical and timeless Swiss village.
"The art department built foreground exterior elements and these were added to in post-production to more closely resemble the Swiss Alps and architecture,'' Mr Grieve said.
Locations included Paradise, Dalefield, private houses in the Arrowtown area and Arrowtown's Buckingham St and Arrow Lane.
Interiors were shot on sets constructed in Queenstown.
Mr Grieve said talent from around the globe was involved in the production.
"It was very much an international affair.''
The commercial was conceived by W+K Amsterdam and directed by Vesa Manninen from Hobby Films, Stockholm.
Director of photography was respected German DP Franz Lusting and post-production was by MPC London, supervised by Kiwi Bill McNamara.
Auckland's Barbara Darragh was costume designer.
Big Pictures provided production support in New Zealand, including casting, locations, engaging crew and supplying equipment.
It specialises in high-end commercial productions and stills shoots, many of them shot in Queenstown.
In the past year or so alone, it has managed shoots for ASICS, Canon, Anchor Milk, Vodafone and Chinese milk producers Mengniu and Yili, all in the resort.
"Queenstown has a deservedly great reputation internationally for the capabilities of its crew, as well as for the diversity of wonderful locations in the region,'' Mr Grieve said.
