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Aotearoa’s countrywide celebration of poetry is preparing to mark its 25^th anniversary with plans for the broadest range of events and promotions yet, as registrations open today for participation in Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day on 26 August 2022.

National Poetry Day co-ordinator Erica Stretton says that after two years of largely online events, the NPD team, poets and organisers are all eager and optimistic about a return to the usual feast of in-person and community events across the motu.

She urges organisers to register their interest early in hosting an event on or around 26 August, in order to access the seed funding available and to be included in the heavily promoted official calendar of NPD events.

“We’ve all learned so much in the past two years about the power of the digital reach in showcasing poets and poetry, and online will continue to play an important part in our promotions. But we can’t wait to see poets and enthusiasts unleashing the power of poetry again in theatres, cafes, marae, bookshops and libraries, in parks and on beaches, pavements and public transport, anywhere and everywhere!”

In 2019 a massive 160 events took place nationwide, bringing together acclaimed poets, new voices, young writers and poetry enthusiasts of all ages.

This year also marks the 40^th anniversary of NPD sponsor, Phantom Billstickers. CEO Robin McDonnell says the company has plenty planned to mark its special milestone, but that poetry will always be at the heart of what they do. “Phantom’s founder Jim Wilson was sharing the works of New Zealand poets on posters in New Zealand and around the world well before the company was even formed. We can’t wait to take the power of poetry to the streets of Aotearoa again in our 40^th year, in a nationwide poster campaign in the lead up to National Poetry Day 2022.”

Interested organisers can access registration documents, templates and a full range of planning and promotional resources via the NPD website at www.poetryday.co.nz. Registrations for seed funding close at 5pm on 1 June 2022. The official Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day 2022 calendar will be announced on 1 August.

For further information contact Erica Stretton at poetryday@nzbookawards.org.nz and to keep up with plans for NPD 2022, follow NZPoetryDay on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Painting the streets with poetry

Coming soon to a wall near you: 14 fresh new voices from Tāmaki Makaurau.

Spoken Walls is what happens when the voices of our rangatahi are given a platform to speak. In this case, the platform is a series of Phantom frames. In a unique collaboration with Auckland Arts Festival, we’re bringing you words of passionate, talented young writers.

Look out for their concrete korero in the Phantom frames opposite the Auckland central library in Lorne Street and other frames across the city from 10 March 2022.

We asked the Festival’s Artistic Director Shona McCullagh to tell us what Spoken Walls is all about:

Shona, what inspired you to set up this collaboration?

“I saw one of Phantom founder Jim Wilson’s poem poster social media posts and I liked the way it brought the power of the word to new audiences. When you stumble on a poem in a public place, it’s a kind of silent activism. I wondered if we could do something similar, but with young, unknown writers in our city.

“So I got in touch with Phantom and took it from there.”

How did you find the writers whose words are featured?

“We worked with Action Education, which is an arts-based youth development organisation that uses spoken word poetry to engage young people. They got in touch with schools and ran workshops around the region. We wanted diverse voices, and we found 14 young poets from different high schools and communities.”

What topics are they tackling?

“Their words are their own but the common concept that unites them is the Festival theme of Truth. We wanted to hear their truth, bearing in mind the huge pressure young people are under these days. They’re dealing with multiple revolutions, and their voices aren’t always being heard. By putting their words, their truth, in Phantom frames, we can help young people connect, reflect and express their stories.”

Why street posters?

“Phantom shares our passion for the arts to be seen and heard. They share our belief that there’s something uniquely powerful about art in public spaces, where people from all walks of life can stumble upon it.”

Look out for Spoken Walls: A City In Verse during the Auckland Arts Festival. Poems will be popping up around town from 10 March 2022. Check out the poems here

Do you have a message for the street or a campaign you’d like to share? Call 0800 PHANTOM (0800 742686) or have a word with our arts specialist, Anton, on anton@0800phantom.co.nz

Phantom reached the unaware so Motueka could sell its wares

The sun shines a lot in the Motueka region. As well as an enviable climate, it boasts golden beaches, vineyards, a great Sunday market and three national parks. It’s a brilliant place for a break.

There’s just one issue. People from outside the region didn’t really think of it as a holiday hotspot. 

The team behind Love Motueka decided to change that. 

They put in a call to Phantom Billstickers.

We worked hard to sell relaxation

Love Motueka used Phantom posters in Wellington and Christchurch to promote the beauty of their region. Striking design and informative copy planted the idea of a Motueka holiday.

We had posters popping up all over Wellington and Christchurch, reaching busy commuters and harried shoppers. The campaign was cunningly booked for a fortnight leading up to summer, to catch urbanites who were pondering their next holiday. 

Posters + a website = the perfect promotion

With this campaign, Phantom delivered impact on the street and pointed towards the Love Motueka website. A whole lot of people then decided to sample the delights of this overlooked region. Mission accomplished. 

Paste plus pixels. It’s a powerful and cost-effective way to put a new holiday destination on the map.

At Phantom, we think street posters have an essential role to play in our country’s culture. The arts don’t just take place behind closed doors. They need a public stage.

Here’s how Phantom supports the arts – and how it pays off for businesses like yours.

Attracting eyeballs to walls

It’s an obvious but overlooked truth that your buildings and our poster sites face public space. In a world where people are absorbed by the hyper-personalised ads on their screens, that creates an opportunity.

So every time we install a new set of Phantom frames we’re aiming to create a stage. We want people to be amazed at what they see there – and to look forward to each week’s new posters.

Commercial brands have a huge part to play because, as well as driving business outcomes, they can sponsor powerful images and alert your neighbourhood to upcoming events. The latest blockbuster film, ice cream on a sunny day, or this season’s hottest fashion – all these support local businesses and can make compelling posters.

But why stop there? Your site becomes even more attractive when an artist’s original vision enters the frame. Whether it’s stunning imagery from an exhibition, a gig by an up-and-coming band or a poem by one of this country’s most talented writers – it’s great to mix things up.

It makes Aotearoa a more interesting place. And it makes your building a little more special in the eyes of everyone who passes by.

And then there’s ‘brand rub.’

This is a media term for what happens when prestigious (but unrelated) brands are placed next to each other. So commercial insurance seems more approachable when it’s seen next to cultural events. Feisty start-ups grow in stature when they keep company with major brands.

The arts are a vital part of this process. Prestigious and edgy arts posters lend an air of sophistication to the outdoor advertising scene. Your property is associated with something special. Everyone wins.

In any case, it’s simply the right thing to do

We’re here to make a business case for the arts. But it’s not just about business.

Promoting the arts is simply the right thing to do.

In a small country like New Zealand, a little commercial support can make a big difference to someone promoting their first exhibition, their first tour or their first collection of poetry.

Our earliest clients were bands and orchestras. We still have a dedicated arts team, and we support the sector with initiatives like 50 free posters for live performers coming back after lockdown

Plus, we just like this stuff. It feels good to get up every day and know you’re doing your bit to support creative culture in Aotearoa. Chat to any of our billstickers and you’ll find a part-time artist, maker, musician or concert-goer. We’re all in this together.

Simon Sinek says people – and by extension, businesses – are inspired by a sense of purpose. He says we should all Start With Why.

For Phantom Billstickers, our ‘why’ is to provide flora for the concrete jungle.

So what’s in it for you?

As a property owner, you already benefit from having walls that are well maintained and free from tagging, with beautifully printed posters appearing in high-quality frames every week to delight your local audience. Through Phantom, you also become a vehicle for creativity.

But there’s another bonus – free tickets.

We often receive tickets and invites from the artists and promoters who advertise in our frames. We’re very happy to pass these on to people who love their work. So if you ever see a Phantom poster for a show you’d love to attend, get in touch. We may have a ticket or two we can provide, free of charge.

No promises, of course. But we’ll help out if we can.

Drop us a line on sites@0800phantom.co.nz. It never hurts to ask.