Using the much-loved stars of Wellington Paranormal, Wrestler and the New Zealand Police have released a set of videos encouraging Kiwis to be careful during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The series focuses on the important key messages our government has been promoting. From isolation, keeping distance, washing your hands and looking after our older Kiwis, officers O’Leary and Minogue from the Wellington Paranormal Unit have got it under control.
The humour that comes easily from the two officers is a Kiwi-centric way to get an important message across. Which most audiences will connect with greater than scolding reminders.
Created by Wellington-based production company Wrestler were responsible for getting the series done in as little as 48 hours before lockdown. CEO Ben Forman says it was important for the series to remain its humour while still providing an air of caution.
“Wrestler is tremendously proud to be able to work with NZ Police through this difficult time. Communicating in such an unknown environment is a massive challenge, there’s no rule book!
“For both NZ Police and Wrestler, it’s about speaking with empathy and authenticity, while still keeping things entertaining and engaging. It’s a fine balance, but luckily we had our mates at Wellington Paranormal to call on, and with a very sanitised studio we were able to whip together some content we feel will inform and entertain the New Zealand public, all while working two metres apart and in under 48 hours just before the lockdown began.”
According to Wellington Paranormal producer Paul Yates, the two officers were happy to get involved to take a break from their normal ghost hunting.
“Officers O’Leary and Minogue from the Wellington Paranormal Unit were very keen to help promote the lockdown message because ‘Sergeant Maaka our boss told them they had to’. But they really enjoyed recording these messages because it gave them a break from ‘chasing ghosts and that’.”
Deputy chief executive of the New Zealand Police, Jane Archibald, says she hopes the series will get the message across in the community so they “understand they need to be ‘doing the right thing’ around self-isolation, and not put themselves in a position where they could ‘pass it on’.”
