Julian Dennison has been a growing icon of Kiwi cinema. From his performance in Taika Waititi’s Hunt For The Wilderpeople to the Hollywood blockbuster Deadpool 2, Dennison’s trajectory is shooting him skybound and much like every other New Zealand film legend before him, he’s tackling a killer tourism campaign called ‘Play NZ‘.
GOAT had the opportunity to chat with Julian for the launch of ‘Play NZ‘, breaking down what the video game initiative is, the biggest difference between NZ and Australia, and why he thinks it’s important for everyone (especially Aussies) to check out our much cooler Kiwi neighbours.
‘Play NZ’ is a new campaign that emulates a video game experience and Julian breaks down exactly what that entails:
You explore what New Zealand has to offer, our beautiful country, our beautiful people, our native people. And it’s the world’s first, virtual walkthrough of New Zealand and you can play games, you can explore, you can pick a character, you can hear my beautiful voice throughout it. There’s a lot of stuff that’s involved and it’s great, you can do it from anywhere, you can do it on the toilet, on the couch, in bed.
Australia and New Zealand have been friendly rivals for generations with many internationally mistaking one for the other and Julian thinks he knows why NZ is superior:
We are so above you guys in everything like in coolness, in fashion. You know, we legit got voted the sexiest accent.
Julian also highlights one of the most unique things about a New Zealand holiday that will sound very enticing to most people around the world, especially after months in isolation:
If you want a good time, you can ski in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon, that’s what I love so much about New Zealand, we’re really well rounded and you can do anything. It’s just great that us, as New Zealanders are able to do that and Aussies!
‘Play NZ’ is a fantastically intuitive and modern campaign that showcases the breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand and delivers us that experience to the comfort of our own home or if you follow Julian’s advice, from the comfort of your bathroom.
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