Santa beefs up Elf numbers to handle increase in kids' requests
Friday 30 November 2007, 11:50AM
By Telecom
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Santa Claus is taking on extra elves to cope with an expected increase in
demand from New Zealand children when Telecom’s Santa Line goes live
tomorrow (1 December).
In 2006 North Pole elves received about 700,000 calls, emails and text
messages from excited children, a few teenagers and even some adults. This
year Telecom expects the man in red to once again be inundated with
messages from hopeful New Zealanders.
Mr Claus was unavailable for comment due to his busy schedule but his
wife, Mrs Claus, says elf recruitment has begun to ensure the Christmas
wishes of all children are heard in time for December 25.
Telecom GM Consumer Marketing David Craig says every year Telecom is
delighted to be able to support Santa and the elves by providing
technology to make it easier for children to connect with the North Pole.
“In recent years they’ve used texting and email, and Santa also has his
own website – www.telecom.co.nz/santaline – where children can contact him
and send Christmas messages to their friends and family,” Mr Craig says.
On the website children can guess the most popular toys requested this
Christmas, and one lucky child will win a Telecom Clever Toys prize pack
containing a Sony PSP console and a set of new Clever Toys soft toys –
Kaz, Gus, Terry, Pete and Murray. The child with the wackiest guess will
also win a set of Telecom Clever Toys soft toys.
The free calling number is 0800 222 222 and children can text their
Christmas wish to 9627 on their Telecom mobile phone. Each text message
costs 20 cents; all proceeds will be matched by Telecom and donated to
Women’s Refuge.
“It’s true what they say, with all this new technology the world is
becoming a smaller place. We’re able to reach more and more children
without Santa having to spend so much time away from home in shopping
malls to hear their requests,” says Mrs Claus.
Telecom’s Santa Line launched in 1993 to help Kiwi kids connect with the
North Pole and will open on December 1, 2007 at 9am.
ENDS