Tourism New Zealand is under fire after admitting parts of its overseas advertising campaign are less than 100% pure.
One advertisement shows an idyllic scene of two kayakers with dolphins swimming around their canoes. But the image is not a single photo. Instead it is a digital adjustment which blends two different photos - one of dolphins and the other of kayakers - together.
Some say that while it looks appealing, it is misleading.
"It's trying to say 100% pure New Zealand when it's not really 100% pure photo," says one viewer.
But Tourism New Zealand bosses insist the image is not misleading but representational.
"This is something that happens every day in our country, and therefore it's a 100% pure New Zealand experience," says spokesperson George Hickton.
Tourism New Zealand says it has touched up several other adverts in the series and would do so again.
"Sometimes it just doesn't work for you and you have to use what technology allows you to do," says Hickton.
But there are calls for the adverts to be withdrawn and replaced.
"If there's one image in a campaign that becomes questionable, then unfortunately all the other images become questionable," says marketing expert Rick Starr.
The Advertising Standards Authority said it will investigate any
complaints it receives about the advertisement.
