Ratepayers pay $100k for Sir Rod
Auckland ratepayers chipped in $100,000 towards a tourism promotion featuring pop star Sir Rod Stewart during the America’s Cup.
Tourism New Zealand paid $918,000 for the Rock the Dock event, during which people in Cup fan zones sang along with a video of Stewart singing his 1975 hit Sailing in London.
The event aimed to use the Cup to market NZ abroad, but TNZ would not say what funds went to Stewart.
Auckland Council’s tourism arm, Auckland Unlimited, yesterday said it partnered with TNZ on Rock the Dock to add to its summer domestic marketing campaign for the cup and the Summernova Festival Series.
The $100,000 from the host city programme allowed its destination logo to be used, content showcasing the America’s Cup Race Village, video coverage of Summernova events in Takapuna and Devonport and Auckland artists featuring during Rock the Dock, said Auckland Unlimited destination chief Steve Armitage.
He said preliminary analysis shows Rock the Dock had an advertising value of $3.2 million and reached 123 million people through media, social media and TVNZ’s broadcast during the cup.
Armitage said social media engagements and sentiment was very positive, particularly around Emirates Team New Zealand’s win and how proud Kiwis were.
“The international audience who engaged responded positively and enjoyed the video and message.
“Sir Rod Stewart’s social team stated fans were overwhelmingly positive on his social channel.”
Auckland Council poured $113.5m into infrastructure for the Cup and last year cut an extra budget for the regatta and other events from $40m to $20m in response to a $525m revenue hit from the Covid pandemic.
Stewart has a strong connection to New Zealand through his ex-wife Rachel Hunter.