Twelve Kiwi businesses have joined with TVNZ to highlight New Zealand Sign Language Week for 2022.
In partnership with Deaf Aotearoa, TVNZ hosted its first-ever fully signed ad-break to kick off the special week. Alongside editorial coverage appearing across 1 NEWS programmes, this commercial activity is designed to celebrate the vibrant Deaf community in Aotearoa, as well as drive awareness for NZSL as one of our national languages.
The ad takeover took place on Monday, May 9 and appeared in premium breaks within Seven Sharp and Breakfast. Presenters for both programmes introduced the ad-breaks, ensuring a captive audience and further driving engagement with the content.
Signed advertisements from the brands involved will play out in their regular spots throughout the week too. The two signers featured across the advertisements were filmed in studio by TVNZ Blacksand and then added to the original creative.
The ad-break takeover builds on TVNZs longstanding partnership with Deaf Aotearoa. TVNZ first offered signed advertisements to advertisers in 2020. The number of brands taking up the opportunity to connect with viewers in this way has since doubled, with 12 clients joining up to be a part of NZSL Week with TVNZ in 2022.
The organisations taking part in the 2022 takeover include:
- Meridian Energy Limited
- ANZ
- Southern Cross Medical Care Society
- St Johns Ambulance
- Z Energy
- Xero
- Harvey Norman
- Mitsubishi
- National Mini Storage
TVNZ Commercial Director, Jodi O’Donnell says: “Each year New Zealand Sign Language Week gets bigger and better on TVNZ’s channels and platforms. It’s exciting to see an initiative first launched in 2020 grow to a level where taking over an entire ad-break in popular programmes is possible. It’s also fantastic to have such a variety of brands involved, it means we can really showcase the breadth and depth of NZSL for our viewers.”
Deaf Aotearoa CEO, Lachlan Keating says: “One of the key aims of NZSL Week is increasing Deaf people’s access to news and information in NZSL. During NZSL Week each year we are seeing more and more organisations and businesses making their information available in NZSL, which is fantastic. We are thrilled that these businesses have made their TV ads accessible in NZSL and we hope that these organisations and others will now make a permanent, year-round commitment to the increasing access for the Deaf community.”
