Telecom NZ can't take a joke

The ability for any consumer with a half-decent PC to re-mix the advertisements your mega-corporation paid millions for must be a pain in the neck.

It certainly appears as if Telecom New Zealand disapproves of the practice. The company last week stopped Web sites all over the world from hosting a satirical version of one of its recent television ads.

Telecom New Zealand's argument is the spoof ad breaches its copyright.

While I'm not particularly keen to draw the wrath of the telco's lawyers by hosting the ad here at ZDNet Australia, there doesn't seem to be any reason not to post a transcript for interested parties.

The ad kicks off with the following comments supposedly in the voice of Telecom CEO Theresa Gattung:

"It's used confusion as its chief marketing tool. And that's fine. You could argue that's helped all of us keep calling prices up," Gattung appears to say.

"And get those revenues, high market businesses, keeping going for a lot longer than would have been the case," she seems to continue.

"But at some level, whether they consciously acknowledge it or not, customers know that's what the game has been. They know we're not being straight up."

Following these comments, a host of little children run through city streets, making these statements in Kiwi accents:

• "I'm not going to take it any more, I've been ripped off."
• "I've been well and truly shafted."
• "My business is down the toilet."
• "Telecom have tricked us and that's really f***ed!"
• "This phone's costing me a fortune."
• "And I can't get access to the Internet."
• "Finally we're going to get what we want, because we're telling Telecom we're leaving. So, are you coming with us?"

The ad concludes with a Telecom NZ logo modified to say "Telecon".

"If you're pissed off with Telecom, do something about it," advises a voiceover "Close your accounts, and take your business somewhere else."

While the private sector has a long history of trying to squash such material, one can only hope Telecom has a better sense of humour next time one of their (ex?) customers decides to take the media into their own hands. Sticks and stones, Telecom, sticks and stones.