Air New Zealand will fly two ‘hobbit’ branded aircraft to and from the UK and North America as part of a global two-movie partnership.
The airline will be the official partner of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, due out in November, and a second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, both by award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson.
Two Boeing 777 aircraft will be Hobbit themed, with a special edition of the in-flight safety video and a series of promotions and on board experiences.
A 777-300 will be transformed into a flying billboard for the first movie and a 777-200 for the second.
The airline’s general manager marketing and communications, Mike Tod, said: "New Zealand is clearly established as the home of Middle-earth and Air New Zealand will bring the magic to life for travellers.
"This partnership follows on naturally from the success of Air New Zealand’s relationship with The Lord of the Rings trilogy in raising New Zealand’s profile as an international travel destination.
"Similarly, we will be putting millions of dollars of marketing behind the two films based on The Hobbit to promote New Zealand in new and innovative ways across the globe."
He said social media would be widely used for this campaign, with competitions and unique fan opportunities.
The world premiere of the first movie will take place in Wellington on 28 November.
