Recognition for orchard safety campaign

Bay of Plenty orchard worker Troy Hall’s hard hitting, first person account of being “hit by electricity” while picking avocados has seen Powerco achieve a bronze (merit) in the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Awards.

Powerco’s entry ‘Look Up! Power Line Safety in Orchards Campaign 2020’ was shortlisted in the Best Influencer Campaign category for the awards.

Auckland public relations agency Mango Communications Aotearoa gained silver in the category for 'Where's Willie? Launching the new Samsung Galaxy S20'. 

No gold was awarded for the category.

A record 69 finalists were named in the 2021 PRINZ annual industry awards. A list of the PRINZ Awards 2021 winners can be viewed here.

“We’re very grateful to Troy (right) for telling his story on film to help educate the Bay of Plenty horticultural industry – in particular, young men – about keeping themselves and equipment well clear of power lines in orchards to stay safe,” Powerco General Manager Health and Safety, Julie McAvoy, says.

“Because of the great engagement and industry backing received during and since the campaign, we believe Troy’s story and involvement in it will make people in the horticultural industry think about clearance distances before working near power lines – ultimately saving lives.”

Click here to view Troy Hall’s filmed story.  

Despite being more than three minutes long, more than a third (5,800) of YouTube viewers watched the entire video (the average viewing time was 2m 12sec).

“I’m glad that this is going to get views, to make people aware of powerlines and the real risks involved if you get hit by electricity. I’d hate for anybody to go down the same journey I’ve been through over a split-second mistake.” – Troy Hall.

Below is a selection of messages posted to Powerco’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages about the campaign.