Oliver’s marketing campaign included an look on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ and billboards in a number of international locations
Alamy; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
The puking bird has been named New Zealand’s “Bird of the Century” following comic John Oliver’s marketing campaign.
On Wednesday, the conservation group Forest and Bird introduced that the pūteketeke had gained their Bird of the Century annual contest after the Last Week Tonight host, 46, expressed his robust help for the chook.
“After a two-week battle of the birds that will go down in history, the pūteketeke now wears the coveted Bird of the Century crown atop its burnt-orange mullet,” the press release through Forest and Bird learn.
Not solely did Oliver’s marketing campaign for the chook to win embrace an look on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, however the star additionally fought for the chook by displaying billboards in Paris and Tokyo, in response to the Forest and Bird assertion.
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
“After a two-week battle of the birds that will go down in history, the pūteketeke now wears the coveted Bird of the Century crown atop its burnt-orange mullet,” the press release via Forest and Bird read.
Not only did Oliver’s marketing campaign for the chook to win embrace an look on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, however the star additionally fought for the chook by displaying billboards in Paris and Tokyo, in response to the Forest and Bird assertion.
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NBC News additionally reviews that Oliver had billboards put up in London and Mumbai, in addition to New Zealand’s capital Wellington. A banner was additionally flown by a aircraft over Ipanema Beach in Brazil, because of the loophole within the contest that enables everybody to vote from anyplace on this planet.
Forest and Bird added that Oliver’s “high-powered campaign” induced a short lived crash within the voting verification system, ensuing within the winner announcement being delayed by two days.
“Pūteketeke began as an outside contender for Bird of the Century but was catapulted to the top spot thanks to its unique looks, adorable parenting style, and propensity for puking,” Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki said in the press release.
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“We’re not stunned these charming traits caught the attention of an influential chook fanatic with a large following.”
The content material, which shines a lightweight on New Zealand’s endangered native birds, obtained a record-breaking 350,000+ verified votes from 195 international locations.
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Forest and Bird additionally revealed of their press launch that hundreds of votes needed to be discarded as fraudulent. The false votes included a single person casting 40,000 votes for the tawaki piki toka jap rockhopper penguin.
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