‘Leggy’ brochure seen as turn-off

Press, 6 October 1989, Page 6

‘Leggy’ brochure seen as turn-off

PA Palmerston North Advertising-bro-chure pictures of young New Zealand women showing lots of leg would kill chances of attracting overseas students, Massey Uni-, versity’s vice chancellor, Dr Neil Waters, says. Pictures of casually dressed young women, displayed in a brochure advertising New Zealand education for foreign students, would not go down well, “considering that some of our largest markets would be in Muslim Malaysia and Muslim Indonesia.” The brochure, produced by an Education Ministry group, also featured other mistakes, he said. Seoul and Hong Kong were transposed on a map of the Pacific region, and Asian students were offered acceptance by a New Zealand “institution”. “Do Asians use this word as we do? In the United Kingdom it normally alludes to a mental hospital,” Dr Waters said. He said he believed reaction to the brochure resulted, in the recall of 60,000 copies. “I hope so, because it is disastrous. One supposes it was well meaning, but what was the Ministry doing in a supposedly ‘devolved’ system — and without any consultation?” he asked.