The Ad Show premieres tonight on TVNZ 7

TheAd Show, which shines the spotlight on advertising, premieres tonight at 9.35pm on TVNZ 7. For non NZ residents full episodes of The Ad Show will also beavailable free online at www.tvnz.co.nz/theadshow. 

TheAd Show is the first in New Zealand to focus solely on advertising,marketing and PR. It’s also the first to give audiences an ongoingopportunity to fire back at the advertising industry.

The show will be hosted by New Zealand ad industry reporter, Hazel Phillips, whose weekly National Business Review columnis a must read. Phillips brings a level of credibility and insideknowledge to the show and will be joined by Media7 reporter Simon Pound(pictured above and below with Phillips).

It will be a studio chat show with interviews, panel discussions andstories. It will also feature a unique level of viewer participationboth through the live studio audience and online feedback andcontributions. 

The format will showcase some of the bestcreative talent in NZ and around the world. It will also discuss thechallenges advertising faces, give a tantalising glimpse behind theindustry’s glossy image, and cast an irreverent eye over thecommercials, PR and marketing constantly being churned out.

Whileit may seem strange for a non-commercial channel to be pioneering ashow about advertising, TVNZ commissioner, Philippa Mossman, says theseries is a perfect fit with TVNZ 7’s quest to provide information anddiscussion on issues relevant to New Zealanders.

“Given thehuge influence advertising has on us, it’s important we provide a forumto examine not just the ads, but those who make them and the issues atstake,” says Mossman.

Producer, Raewyn Rasch, says while TheAd Show will focus on advertising, it won’t just be a free ad for theindustry: “On occasion our spotlight might be more like a blow torch.We know a lot of people watch commercials and wonder – what were theythinking? We’ll not only ask the question, we’ll demand an answer,”says Rasch.

The Ad Show premieres on TONIGHT (Thursday 18 February) at9.35pm on TVNZ 7.Full episodes of The Ad Show will also beavailable free online at www.tvnz.co.nz/theadshow.