International airline campaign on Lake Dunstan

Cromwell’s Kiwi Water Park staff will feature in an international advertising campaign for Jetstar in a few weeks, using a giant inflatable airline logo in the middle of Lake Dunstan.

Queenstown-based Reelnz was running the campaign, and location manager Cam Woods said Cromwell was the perfect spot because of the existing water park on the lake.

Although the airline company was flying in its own inflatables to use for filming, they will be using water park staff for their expertise as well as health and safety.

Filming would take place between January 30 and February 5, and Reelnz had to get permission from government agencies including the harbourmaster (under the Navigation Safety Bylaw) to restrict boaties from using the area that week.

Cam said New Zealanders were generally pretty good when it came to filming in locations, and respected people’s space.

The film industry was “so hot right now”, with many new projects coming up around Central Otago, he said.

Film crews spent about $200,000 a week on accommodation, food and rental cars while they were in a town, and this all benefited the local economy hugely, he said.

Kiwi Water Park owner Emily Rutherford said she was stoked that Reelnz and Jetstar chose Lake Dunstan to film their commercial.

“It will be great for Central Otago to be part of a big advertising campaign, and the backdrop of mountains will be perfect,” she said.

The first week of February was good for filming because it was the quietest week of the year, with school kids all back at school before the next long weekend (Waitangi Day).

“We may even close for a few days, because they are going to be using our lifeguards.”

Emily said she’d had a great season and January 2 was their busiest day on record (100 people), with every session booked out.