Ghost Rod wins boat safety video competition

Ghost Rod wins boat safety video competition

A water-based homage to the classic “Ghost Chips” road safety TV advertisement has won this year’s Bounty Hunter Fishing Tournament video competition, which was sponsored by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) and PlaceMakers Big Angry Fish.

Naomi Willis of Cambridge won $3,000 for her “very creative and funny” on-the-water take-off of the “Ghost Chips” advertisement, which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P89lSRzAhmA

The Bounty Hunter Fishing Tournament was held in Coromandel in June, with participants invited to produce a video that promoting lifejacket wearing and other key MNZ safety messages:
• check the marine weather forecast
• carry two ways to call for help that will work when wet (for example, a distress beacon, marine VHF radio, or a cellphone in a waterproof bag)
• avoid alcohol
• be a responsible skipper.
MNZ Education and Communications Manager Pania Shingleton said while many of the videos had a humorous tone, particularly “Ghost Rod”, the safety message was a deadly serious one.

“The main target is to get more people wearing lifejackets and reduce the number of recreational boating deaths in New Zealand,” she said. “We’re proud to associate ourselves with TV3’s PlaceMakers Big Angry Fish show and jointly promote boat safety and lifejackets.”

All seven entries can be seen alongside other boat safety videos on MNZ’s YouTube channel: boatsafetyinnz.
Overall, the entries were of a good standard, and were judged by MNZ on quality, creativity, wearing lifejackets, best/biggest fish, demonstrating boat safety, and the public response on YouTube. The judges’ decision is final.

“We know a lot of guys think they’re bulletproof. However, wearing a lifejacket, avoiding alcohol, taking two forms of communication and checking out the marine weather, mean you are more likely to get home with yourself, your friends and your fish, in one piece,” Ms Shingleton said.

ENDS

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