Countdown vs New World

New World has been extremely successful in representing 'New Zealandness' in their recent television advertisements  Aspects of multiculturalism are evident through the use of using many races in their advertisements reflecting the 'real' New Zealand rather than only using white people like Countdowns advertisements.

In the New World add, staff are making instruments out of fruit, vegetables and other products commonly found in New World stores. Cultures including Maori, Pacific Islanders, Indian and Pakeha all feature in these advertisements emphasizing the ethnic diversity that New World have among their staff.

When viewing this series of advertisements, everyone is portrayed as equals, seen through all races receiving about the same amount of screen time and having relatively the same positions within the frame. Their costuming is all the same (as it is their uniform) so not one staff member highly stands out over another. This reinforces the fact that all their staff are viewed as equals, and removes stereo types among the workers.

By not containing any aspects of cultural flattening or the burden of representation, New World has successfully portrayed their workers as equals in society and implies that no particular race dominates over another.

Countdowns current television advertisements are not as successful at representing the ethnic diversity that is highly evident in New Zealand. They focus on a nuclear family and follow their day to day activities revolving around supermarket shopping. This white family of five suggests to audiences that New Zealand's society is constructed in this manner when indeed it is not. This series of adds suggests that while family is superior and the norm in New Zealand.

New Worlds television adds reflect the ethnic diversity and multiculturalism seen everyday in New Zealand and represent it to be the norm that it is, emphasizing that everyone should be viewed as equals regardless their race.