MediaWorks began the roll out of its campaign for the highly anticipated second season of The Bachelor NZ (set to screen on TV3 next month) on Valentine’s Day, opting for a change in direction this time, moving from lusty abs on horseback to a mysterious Casanova.
The new ad for The Bachelor NZ features a suavely dressed man aka the ‘bachelor’, walking past some beautiful ladies dotted around a staircase who, seemingly bewitched by the man, turn their heads to admire him.
The ad has a dreamy, slow feel to it and was shot in Auckland’s beautiful Civic Theatre, which lends to the glitz and glamour aesthetic of the clip.
“We chose a change in direction this year, moving away from the Mills and Boon abs, horses and boats to focus on romance and glamour,” says MediaWorks brand manager Reuben Wiremu.
“We have a new bachelor and he brings with him a different sensibility, so we wanted to highlight that for the audience.”
With so many people involved in the shoot, it is somewhat surprising that MediaWorks has been able to keep the identity of The Bachelor under wraps, especially given the interest from the media.
Spy, for instance, released a list of 12 potential Bachelors (Wiremu wouldn’t confirm if any of these guesses were on the money).
“We love a bit of speculation here at The Bachelor NZ mansion and are really fond of some of the suggestions that have been made. If we were to ever create The Bachelorette New Zealand I think we might just use these lists.”
Given that that Bachelor’s silhouette is clearly visible at the end of this spot, it will likely lead to further speculation (we can only hope that The Spinoff’s theory that the new bachelor is actually the Phantom of the Opera proves true).
So why the slower, more ethereal song choice?
“We looked at a number of options but ultimately felt the remake of ‘All Shook Up” was perfect in terms of tone and feel for the spot. We also like to surprise the audience with music and the lyrics and style added perfectly to the dreamy pace of the spot.”
The song is a simplified version of Elvis Presley’s ‘All Shook Up’ covered by Avila.
He says the full media support will roll out over the coming weeks. “The campaign includes extensive out of home and digital layers designed to complement our strategy across MediaWorks-owned platforms, with More FM once again playing the role of lead radio brand on the show.”
Wiremu says Michael Hill is continuing as broadcast sponsor, with Suzuki New Zealand as programme partner. “There are other brands involved with the show but I’m not able to share the details of these with you at this time, as they reveal too much about the show content, location and dates.”
MediaWorks-owned More FM announced Nelson-born Anna Marshall as its bachelorette wildcard winner for season two of The Bachelor New Zealand.
This makes Anna the first and only bachelorette to be announced this season.
Marshall was put through her paces by More FM’s Lana and Jase in an intensive week-long boot camp along with four other hopefuls.
The competition consisted of an obstacle course that included naming All Blacks, showing cooking and DIY skills, and literally sliding over the finish line.
The contestants were able to promote themselves on social media with More FM listeners voting for their favourite bachelorette.
The first season of The Bachelor NZ concluded in May last year and the finale attracted 900,500 viewers, according to Nielsen. This number averaged out at 461,1000 over the course of the show, and the ratings showed that 227,100 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic tuned in to watch Art Green choose Matilda Rice over Dani Robinson.
The first half of the season garnered ratings between 220,500 and 301,200 in the five plus category (between 112,000 and 159,600 in the 25-54 category) but things improved from there. From 14 March, ratings were between 300,500 and 462,100 compared to 134,000 and 227,100 in the 25-54 category.
Credits:
Creative director: Ant Farac
Promo directors: Bryce McNamara & Sarah Mudgway
Stills director: Juita Tambunan
Brand manager: Reuben Wiremu
Media strategist: Mandy Vickery
Marketing assistant: Lily Kingston
