Grandparents make ‘Team-Up’ ads a winner

Media Release

24 April 2007

Grandparents make ‘Team-Up’ ads a winner

Groundbreaking advertisements recognising the contribution of grandparents in Pacific Island families have helped make Ministry of Education ‘Team-Up’ ads a success.

Rugby player and Education Ambassador, Tana Umaga, fronted the advertisements which have won the Best Use of Radio section in the recent CANNZ Media 2007 awards.

Ministry of Education Team-Up Project Manager, Adrian Parkyn, says the ads encouraging Pacific Island parents to ‘team up’ with their children to support their learning outside school, deliberately tapped into the children’s wider family group.

“Team-Up had a mainstream campaign focussing on all parents, but we knew we needed to find a way to specifically connect with Pacific Island families,” Mr Parkyn said.

Initially this seemed a challenge with Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island, Nieuan and Tokelauan communities to access, five different languages and cultures involved, English was often a second language and face-face conversation usually preferred to traditional media.

“With these constraints in mind, our approach was very deliberately to widen the focus to include grandparents as well as parents, recognising that the older generation are often primary or equal caregivers in Pacific families.”

The strategy included bombarding and intercepting Pacific Island community radio spaces with easy-to-digest tips voiced in their own language by people respected in the various communities. The ads were played at a time when listeners had tuned in to hear advice, discussions and commentary about New Zealand life.

“It seems to have worked, and we’re delighted to receive this award,” Mr Parkyn said.

ENDS

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