Auckland’s Happy Herd

In January 2010, the California Department of Food and Agriculture will film a new series of 10 California “Happy Cows” commercials in Auckland, taking advantage of New Zealand’s low production costs, but much to the chagrin of local union officials angry to learn that the state milk board was farming out television work to foreign locales. The latest series, which began last year, features New Zealand cows representing bovines from around the world auditioning to be the next California Happy Cow. Like American Idol, viewers can then go on the board’s website and vote for their favorite cow. Although Los Angeles remains the bread-and-butter capital for commercial shoots, it faces growing competition from foreign locales, including countries such as New Zealand and Argentina that offer substantial financial incentives.