Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

The latest New Zealand lamb promotion in the UK aims to tickle the funny bone of British consumers.

The campaign, funded by sheep farmer levies, highlights New Zealand lamb's grass-fed, natural production.

But the advertising also takes a tongue-in-cheek line, in suggesting the lengths that New Zealand farmers will go in raising their free-range lamb.

Under the heading, "a national obsession", it shows a lifeguard - renamed a lambguard - looking after sheep which are grazing close to a stream.

Meat and Wool New Zealand's market development manager, Craig Finch, says the approach went down well with a consumer test panel in the UK late last year.

Mr Finch says as well as television and print media the New Zealand lamb promotion is appearing on-line in electronic consumer newletters that go to almost 250,000 British households.

Britain is still New Zealand's largest single lamb market. Last year more than 73,000 tonnes of lamb worth $656 million was shipped there.