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BP New Zealand

BP tells us on their website that they started selling smurfs at their
stations in New Zealand in 1981.

That goes well with the markings on the smurf items made in New Zealand.

As far as I know New Zealand was the last country introducing selling the PVC smurfs
at their stations. Therefore you many times find W Berrie markings on them.
The Hongkong factory started marking the smurfs with W Berrie in 1982. But when the
promotion started in 1981 the smurfs were only marked Hong Kong. You can find
many of the earliest Hongkong markings on some of the smurfs in old New Zealand collections.

Like these two first vague HK markings on Cleaner and Cardplayer. The Cleaner later
got a Hong Kong marking on the trousers but in the beginning only on the arm.

I do not know when the promotion ended but probably like the BP
promotions in other countries in late 1982 or early 1983??

1982

This picture shows all 63 smurfs you could buy at the BP Stations in New Zealand in early 1982.

Thanks Kath for the pictures.

New Zealand Key Ring Soccer Smurf

Just like in France (Rugby Key Ring) New Zealand got a special variation just made for them.
The all white soccer smurf. It was sold as a key ring and it was made in Hongkong.

It was most likely made for the 1982 World Cup. New Zealand qualified for the WC in 1981.