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tree pic

Telecom Christmas Tree

Concept and Design - Joe Bleakley.

In 2008 Telecom planned to give a Christmas gift to Aucklanders.

The gift needed to reflect Telecom and its relationship within the community. It also needed to be modern and technologically outstanding.

Joe conceived the Telecom Tree in response to this brief under the aegis of NZ Sponsorship Agency.

Based on a traditional Christmas tree, it is a 28 metre high cone of animated lights; when viewed from underneath it becomes an artistic representation of "data" moving through a giant fibre optic cable - The Information Highway.

Linked to the "tree" are phones in traditional phone boxes where children can call Santa and pass on their wishes - Telecom's Santa Line.

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Video

Bean-bag loungers are provided for those who wish to stay and watch the ever-changing patterns, or who elect to lie right underneath the "tree" where they can enjoy an especially magical environment, completely surrounded by the dancing light display. This has proved to be popular, and people have been known to lie underneath all night.

Telecom's annual gift is becoming a tradition, with Wellingtonians and Cantabrians now also being recipients. While the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch trees are essentially the same, each is topped with a different "star".

Key people involved with the realisation of the first tree were David Eversfield (Lights/Programming), Nick Barnfield (Engineer), Alice Taylor (Project Management), Nick Bassett (Art Director) and Joe (Designer).