Kudos (overdue) to One News who didn't just roll over and play nice when one of their bigger advertisers (Noel Leeming) employed Erin Brokovich to shill their products.

video here

text version here

Unfortunately the NZ Herald weren't so smart and this morning gave front page coverage to this (IMHO) obvious PR beat-up: Brockovich forces NZ firm to drop 'sexist' ad

As the Herald themselves point out:

Brockovich was outraged by a Bond and Bond advertisement that said: "Government says fridges are better younger. Just like women really."

The 47-year-old environmental advocate, whose story inspired the hit movie Erin Brockovich, is fronting a TV advertising campaign for Bond & Bond's sister company Noel Leeming. The firms are both owned by the Noel Leeming Group.

Gee, what better way to establish Brockovich's "credentials" as an "independent" consumer advocate than have her demand an ad be withdrawn? Nevermind that (to quote the Herald again)

Noel Leeming Group chief executive Andrew Dutkiewicz said ... [the advertisement] was designed to run only once.

So, since the Herald had all the facts, why did they bother to run it on their front page? Was it a beat up to drive web traffic on their own site? Your Views
Whatever. Being on the front page of the Herald of course meant Talkback Radio had to cover the story, asking listeners what they thought. And they took the bait. Thankfully this afternoon Cameron Brewer came to the rescue (eh?) and explained all to those lacking in brain cells:

[he] says it is public relations at its best. He says it is all about selling fridges over Labour weekend, nothing more.

Let's hope the NZ Herald can join the dots next time ... or add Advertorial to the top of these types of stories in future.