Cars, Balloons and too much spare time.

So, these links I find fascinating. It’s an alternative example of the merging of different medias. The blurring between news and marketing. Basically, in New Zealand, Ford was broadcasting an advert depicting cars tied to balloons floating away, clearly computer generated. A short while later, the second link was found on youtube, of Kiwi students apparently successfully mimicking the Ford advertisement. It looked like a home made video of 'Kiwi ingenuity'

In response to this, one of NZ’s main news shows, TV3 News, picked up on the story and aired a prime time report investigating the authenticity of the stunt. They proved it was also computer altered imagery (in reality there’s a crane lifting the car) commissioned by Ford using paid actors. See link three. The youtube video and news coverage was a publicity stunt that generated a huge amount of press for Ford.

Original Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SRWpmDnpf4

Students/Bogans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVq0u1BTGgE

Crane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-JRJsxvq0&feature=related

I couldn’t find the original news story online but in searching for it I came across several newspaper articles, blogs etc on the story.

It also reflects transnationalism in the media, many of the blogs on the story are American, Australian or British.

It may also reflect the need for NZ to find some real news...