Interest high in butter contest

Press, 9 December 1976, Page 27

Interest high in butter contest

From JOHN ROSS, London correspondent of “The Press”. London Varying degrees of subterfuge are being used by scheming Britons trying to win a free trip to New Zealand by means of a competition to promote New Zealand butter. They have to answer questions such as: “How many half-pound >ackets of Anchor butter were sold in Britain during 1975?” “In which year did the missionary Samuel Marsden introduce the first two cows and a bull to New Zealand?” “Since when has New Zealand butter sold in packs under the Anchor brand been available in Britain?”

The New Zealand High Commission in London, the Dairy Board’s offices in both London and Wellington, newspapers, trade magazines, and even relatives in New Zealand have been inundated with letters or telephone calls

from people desperate to find the answers. ‘We have been having an argument at work and 1 iwonder whether you co|ld help us. . .” begins a «typical letter. "Mother has been suffering from rheumatics and a trip to New Zealand would do her a world of good,” says another. “We are doing a project at school. . .” and “Can you please settle a domestic argument. . are quite common.

Inquirers are told by' the Dairy Board that the answers have been published, but that they will have to find them for themselves.

A steady stream of butter enthusiasts can be seen each day wending its way to the library at New Zealand house.

“Sometimes, when they have finished, the shelves look as if there has been a sale on,” said the librarian (Miss J. Tasker). "Some people are very secretive — when they find an answer, they ask me to put the book back so that others will not find it. For some, it seems to be almost a matter of life and death.”

The competition, entry to which requires eight wrappers from Anchor butter or cheese, has been heavily promoted on television and in women’s magazines, and has attracted unprecedented interest. Special offers include an Anchor cookery book, and toy Anchor butter refrigerated trucks. But the foui-three-week trips for two to New Zealand are the lures have resulted in about 2000 entries being received so far.