"TV husbands" Kereti Kanawa and Josh Preston One of the actors in a new Westpac ad which shows a gay couple getting married thinks it’s a ground-breaking step for advertising in New Zealand, and is confident others will follow suit. Josh Preston and Kereti Kanawa are “TV husbands” in the bank’s commercial, showing them getting engaged and hitched alongside a range of situations from New Zealand life, from crucial rugby matches to Sir Edmund Hillary climbing. Preston says despite gay marriage still progressing towards being legal – “and the subject of some truly embarrassing protests “- the ad looks at potential futures, asking “will they” and “who says” as the couple appears. “In the context of the ad ‘will they?’ is the same question the All Blacks fans are asking of their team, and the one they pose when they see us getting married too. So if they place the hope of achieving marriage equality in the same context as the hope of an All Black victory, well that's a positive outlook indeed,” he says. Preston nabbed the role when long-time friend Kanawa jokingly posted online asking who wanted to marry him for cash. “And having been to a crazy dress up party with him for the anniversary of Verona that very weekend, I knew we had a great rapport, so I volunteered,” he recalls. It was straight off to a costume fitting and the next thing the men knew they had their own personal trailer with gay actor Heath Jones as their (costume) fluffer. “It was great to be part of, a highly professional crew and a few familiar faces,” Preston says. “Kereti and I were nervous and trying hard not to giggle too hard. The brief was for a non-camp acting couple. We nearly flunked that part several times over, especially when the ring wouldn’t go on smoothly - the crew were losing it by this stage.” Preston thinks it’s only a matter of time before more inclusive ads like this are on our TV screens. “It's nice to be part of something that’s non-stereotypical and ground breaking. I think it sets a good example for other agencies looking to broaden their markets and do so authentically and engagingly,” he says. “We're ready for the sequel,” Preston jokes. “The honeymoon will be in Paris.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 29th October 2012 - 3:29pm