13 January 2023
Joe McPhee
[FYI request #21405 email]
Ref: OIA-2022/23-0443
Dear Joe McPhee
Official Information Act request for a list of public figures paid to promote the
Covid-19 vaccine
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) partially transferred to the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) on 20 December 2022.
You requested:
“Please can I have a list of all celebrities, politicians, media personalities, social media
influencers, that were paid to promote/advertise the covid-19 vaccine, and how much
they were paid.”
Please note that the responsibility for advertising related to COVID-19 vaccination was
transferred to Te Whatu Ora on 1 July 2022. DPMC’s response includes relevant information
from the time period when DPMC was responsible for delivering the vaccine campaign.
Regarding the part of the request for the names of the social media influencers used to
support the COVID-19 Vaccine campaign, I can advise that there were 11 content creators
who were used to promote the vaccination message as part of the Super Saturday
vaccination campaign. These individuals were Louis Davis, Jackie Cheng, Tyla Nathan-
Wong, Kirstie Stanway, Nicole Whippy, Aya Al-chalabi, Nicole Goldsworthy, Jared Jackson,
Win Velasco, Michael Fergus and Daniel Rhodes. These content creators were engaged to
make and share their own authentic vaccine-related content that was relevant to them and
their followers. There were no other celebrities, politicians or media personalities engaged.
Regarding the part of your request for information concerning payments, this was managed
via a contracted media agency, and the information is not held within the DPMC financial
system. I am therefore refusing this part of your request under section 18(g) of the Act, as
the information is not held by the department and I do not believe that it is held by another
public sector agency.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under
section 28(3) of the Act.
This response may be published on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s
website during our regular publication cycle. Typically, information is released monthly, or as
otherwise determined. Your personal information including name and contact details will be
removed for publication.
Yours sincerely
Julie Knauf
Acting Deputy Chief Executive,
COVID-19 Group
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4693555
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz