Sunday 8 March 2009

Quick hit: Something about Tui Girls

Not quite sure what to make of this article in the Herald today:
A Manawatu businessman who hired Tui's famous Mangatainoka brewery for a work function says he was offered a choice: would his guests like their beer served by local "Tui girls" in their tight shorts, or would he prefer the more expensive option of models from the capital?

Generally, the brewery charges out the leggy Tui girls at $30 an hour each. But for $35, said Miss Tui 2006 Tina Rowe, you could get the more "striking" Wellington models.

...

Tui's website promises that brewery girls can be "coaxed off the line" for $30 an hour, to make your party a little more special.

Indeed, Tui's head brewer, 28-year-old Kylie Harris, fits the age and gender demographic of a Tui girl, but she certainly doesn't don skimpy shorts to pour beer at parties.

In reality, and this should surprise only the most credulous, the long-legged "Tui girls" do not brew beer, fill kegs and drive trucks like those in the television advertisement. Most of them have day jobs in the big smoke.

...

But this weekend, Palmerston North Mayor Jono Naylor stuck up for his local womenfolk. Anybody who thought they were "doing better" by opting for the Wellington girls "obviously hasn't seen our local girls", he said.

"Everything in this region is better, including the women," he insisted. "We have gorgeous women. You can't beat 'em".

Tina Rowe, from Elevator Events in Wellington, said she sometimes found brewery girls for Tui, mostly using Wellington models hired out at $35 an hour.

Asked if the Wellington girls were "more pretty", Rowe was frank: "Yes, to be completely honest... there are some striking girls in Wellington."

...

[Tui Breweries manager Jo Hurst said] "We don't put any ugly ones out there, if that is what you're asking."

The public would be naive to think the Tui girls were brewers, Hurst said.

So what does make a good Tui girl?

Hurst said anyone who had a gorgeous figure, could wear short shorts, and who was outgoing and bubbly. "Big boobs are not necessary."
Click through for the full article.

Those Tui ads irritate me no end. Interesting to see that although their head brewer is a young woman the article doesn't mention her appearance.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's good to know that you can't beat Tui girls. Perhaps they could do a billboard suggesting that their customers not beat any girls?

Moz

Anonymous said...

Oh dear... As a Manawatu-er I don't know what to say except that I wish Jono would crawl back under the rock he came from.

katy

Anonymous said...

"The public would be naive to think the Tui girls were brewers, Hurst said."

Yes, obviously. They're women therefore they're decorations.

Azlemed said...

I live in Palmy and sure as heck didnt vote for a conservative christian mayor... hes called the invisible mayor by those of us in the left

Anonymous said...

I have been boycotting Tui, in principle, for some time now. I know one twenty something female refusing to buy Tui means nothing in terms of sales, but at least I don't feel all dirty and used and soiled inside. Something the Tui models must have to grapple with everyday. Although ignorance is bliss........

Student_Still

Azlemed said...

I prefer to buy speights lol... and its advertising is focused at men, so dunno what that says, other than the fact that I am a southlander and we drink speights.

Julie said...

Well I seem to have hit a nerve here...

So are the ads trying to say that beer brewed tastes better when it's made by women in short shorts?

Anonymous said...

Yes, it does taste better.

Anonymous said...

"So are the ads trying to say that beer brewed tastes better when it's made by women in short shorts?"

The beer is brewed in their shorts? Gives a new meaning to yeast infection.

Alright, I jest!

I know women can't take this advertising seriously, but unfortunately for Tui, any publicity is good publicity. Put up a stupid "Yeah Right" billboard and suffer the consequences AFTER they get on the news.

Anyone else appreciate the delicious irony that a gentleman of the other persuasion harps on about the "goooorgeous women" in the voice over? ;)

Anonymous said...

The tui TV ads could be the most sexist ads on NZ TV that we have. I switch channel when I see a tui ad because I am scared the ad will show up again in the next ad break. I don't want my brothers (9 & 14 years old) and my 6 year old sister seeing those ads & I hate watching those ads myself. They make me grumpy.

Student_Still, count me as another 20-something female boycotting Tui permanently.

The other beer ads on TV are aimed at guys too, and also often use women's bodies as ways to 'sell' the product to men - but none do this as blatantly as Tui.

Amelia.