MANITOWOC — Last Week Tonight host John Oliver has set up a billboard on Washington Street in Manitowoc to garner votes for the New Zealand Bird of the Century contest.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Oliver announced his role as campaign manager for the pūteketeke, also known as the Australian-crested grebe, in the contest during the Nov. 5 episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO.
"I don't just want the pūteketeke to win — I want it to win in the biggest landslide in the history of this magnificent competition," Oliver said during the show.
The billboard can be seen facing west on the side of the building at 1004 Washington St., near the intersection of Washington and South 10th streets. The building is home to Golden Ring Music & Folklore Center and vāp.
As part of Oliver's efforts to have the bird known as Bird of the Century in New Zealand, he created movie parody posters in New Zealand for "The Lord of the Wings," starring the pūteketeke. He also put up billboards in high-traffic cities in India, Japan, France and Brazil. In London, an advertisement to "help us crown a real king" with a picture of the bird was put on a bus and driven near government buildings.
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Manitowoc was the only small city mentioned on the show.
"And finally, just to push us over the top, we also put up this billboard in Manitowoc, Wis. Because hey, not everyone lives in big cities, and if you live in Manitowoc, we need your support, too," Oliver said.
Oliver encouraged his audience to visit votethisbird.com to cast their vote in the New Zealand contest. Voters need to use an email address and then verify their vote for it to be counted.
The annual contest, which is typically known as Bird of the Year, is organized by Forest & Bird, an independent conservation organization in New Zealand. The contest was named Bird of the Century to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary.
Voting for Bird of the Century will close at 10 p.m. Central Standard Time Nov. 11.
Oliver's attention on Manitowoc is the latest in a series of eastern Wisconsin mentions during late night shows.
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On Oct. 16, Stephen Colbert referenced Sheboygan during the opening monologue of his show "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
Sheboygan was again mentioned on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" Oct. 25 when Meyers acted out a parody of a news anchor reporting on breaking news.
“Breaking news out of Sheboygan where Donald Trump has just been caught shoplifting an US Weekly out of a Piggly Wiggly,” Meyers said.
Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached at aschafer@gannett.com.
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John Oliver buys Manitowoc billboard for New Zealand Bird of the Century contest, adding 'we need your support, too' - Herald Times Reporter
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