Put your mullet on the line for a new hatch
In a nod to the recognition of the highly successful Chop TV commercial, Holden New Zealand is running a promotion which will see one mullet swapped for a new Holden Astra, worth more than $30,000.
"We want to find Kiwi men and women who are willing to put their mullet on the line in the hope of winning a brand new car," says Marnie Samphier, Holden NZ's marketing general manager.
"We have set up the Holden Astra Mullet Amnesty Day Facebook page and are inviting people to load a picture of their mullet in the hope of being selected to participate in the Chop event, which is taking place in the spiritual home of the mullet -- West Auckland," says Samphier.
"It's a fun way for us to acknowledge our past but also show that even diehard mullet fans are capable of moving with the times and embracing something new."
In addition to the creation of the social media page, Holden has commissioned a special personalised message plate, 0MULET (left), which will adorn the new Astra.
The event begins at 10am on Saturday, April, 1 at West City Holden in Henderson and will be finished by midday.
"The fact the Holden Astra Mullet Amnesty Day, or HA-MAD for short, is taking place on April 1 is merely a coincidence," says a straight-faced Samphier.
"HA-MAD is an opportunity to get the finest mullets together in one place at the same time and for one lucky person to come away with a new car."
"But no one will go home empty-handed, as all 'mulletaires' will have a smart new short back and sides as well as some new Holden gear."
While car companies are infamous for April Fool's pranks, BMW New Zealand had a double-bluff in 2015 when it ran an advertisement on the front page of the Herald.
The April Fool's Day special promised a new BMW to the first person who took their car and the front-page coupon to the dealership.
Tianna Marsh was the first person at the Auckland car dealership in her 15-year-old Nissan Avenir. Lucky for her it wasn't a prank and she was rewarded with a new BMW 1 Series worth almost $50,000.
The reverse April Fool's joke by BMW NZ was so successful that the YouTube video of the "prank" has had 1.5 million hits, and it won an international marketing award.