White Christmas? Pfft, that’s so northern hemisphere! It’s about time us southern hemisphere folk show those winter wonderlanders how much more fun the holidays are with ‘glistening bros’, thongs and ‘barbies alight’.
Thankfully the Air New Zealand team took it upon themselves to strip away those sleigh bells, bluebirds and snowmen by adding a whole lot of jandals (lol I need to know if anyone under the age of 60 actually wears them), sunburn stings and bubbles for nan.
In case you didn’t pick up on it, the carrier has re-written a Christmas classic, ‘Winder Wonderland’, to accommodate and appeal to us ‘glistening’ Oceania peeps who are sweating it up in bikinis and shorts in a ‘Summer Wonderland’.
Teaming up singer, Ronan Keating, and rising acting star, Julian Dennison, the pair hilariously work together to record a unique version of the Winter Wonderland classic to celebrate the magic of a Southern Hemisphere Christmas.
Lines like, “in the lane, snow is glistening”, “gone away is the bluebird”, “he sings a love song, as we go along” and “walking in a winter wonderland” are creatively replaced with “sunburn sting, ice blocks glistening”, “serve the pav [pavlova] up at lunchtime”, “bubbles for nan, pineapples on ham” and “strolling through a summer wonderland”.
While instead of building a snowman in the meadow, we Down Under are grabbing wickets in the arvo and our backyards are “full of distant rellies”.
Air New Zealand’s General Manager Global Brand and Content Marketing Jodi Williams says the homegrown lyrics will remind local audiences of the moments that make a Kiwi (and Aussie, c’mon Jodi) Christmas, while the song also sends an enticing message to prospective visitors around the world.
“The idea of sleigh bells and snow doesn’t really resonate for us in the Southern Hemisphere so we wanted to have fun with the concept of ‘carol equality’ and come up with a song we Kiwis and Aussies can relate to.”
Jodi Williams, Air New Zealand’s General Manager Global Brand and Content Marketing
“We hope the video will not only spread festive cheer but will also stand out against more traditional Christmas advertising, inspiring travellers to come down and see you don’t need winter to enjoy our wonderland.”
Ronan Keating says that while he and Julian Dennison are an unlikely duo, they had plenty of laughs recording the antipodean remix.
“I’m a big fan of New Zealand, both the country and the people and also of Air New Zealand. I love their humorous on board safety videos and of course, the great inflight experience.”
Ronan Keating
“Working with Julian was a breeze – he’s an absolute legend, incredibly professional, and to top it off, he can definitely sing.”
Teenager Julian Dennison plays the part of Ronan Keating’s producer in the video and says even though he was in awe of the music legend, their jam session was one of his career highlights.
“My job in the video is to sell Ronan on the idea of a sunny outdoor Christmas – the kind of day I’m looking forward to sharing with my family, jamming on the guitar or ukulele and chillaxing,” he explained.
“For me Christmas is about getting people together and in the groove, so what better way to celebrate than to cut a track on why a Kiwiana Christmas is epic.”
Check out the full video below: