KEY POINTS:
A familiar face was no guarantee of success, but it certainly helped some candidates win over the voters in this year's local elections.
TV One weather presenter and former Breakfast host Kay Gregory will take a seat on Hamilton City Council after beating her nearest opponent by more
than 2000 votes.
New Christchurch mayor Bob Parker, who is best known for hosting the popular TV show This is Your Life in the '80s and '90s, also put his fame to good use.
He won a decisive victory over his closest opponent to replace mayor Garry Moore, who has stepped down after three terms in office.
Other high-profile winners include Dancing with the Stars celebrity and former Work and Income chief executive Christine Rankin, who was the North Shore's highest polling Auckland Regional Council candidate, and former MP and broadcaster Michael Laws, who won a second term as mayor of Wanganui.
Clued-up voters may have recognised Bob Tizard, who has been elected to the Auckland District Health Board for the first time at the age of 83, as New Zealand's former Minister of Health. Mr Tizard also served as Deputy Prime Minister under Norman Kirk in 1974.
The long-time politician, who credits a "very careful choice of ancestors" for his active body and mind, says he is about to begin his seventieth season as a full-playing member at Remuera Golf Club, and he is still one of the fastest round the course.
Mr Tizard told the Herald his stint in health's top job will help him understand the very real interests a large number of groups have in the "emotional" area of health.
Other candidates found a famous face was no guarantee of success.
Former All Black and National MP Grahame Thorne came sixth in a field of 10 candidates for the Hagley-Ferrymead ward of Christchurch City.
High-profile Maori broadcasters John Tamihere and Willie Jackson were also unsuccessful in their respective bids for mayor of Waitakere and Manukau Cities.
In Auckland City, well-known pornographer Steve Crow proved sex doesn't always sell, coming well-behind the frontrunners in fifth place, with 5065 votes.
Less-well-known candidates had to use other ways to set themselves apart from the competition.
New Zealand's two youngest candidates were both elected for a second term.
Manukau City councillor Jami-Lee Ross and Wellington City councillor Hayley Wain, both 21, were elected for the first time at just 18 years of age.
Mr Ross said while his first priority was his ward of Howick, it was important to have a young voice on council to represent Manukau's young population.
Ms Wain, who is six months younger than Mr Ross, says she will use her second term in office to get more young people involved in local government.
Ms Wain, who was elected in her first year after leaving school, was the highest-polling councillor in Wellington's Northern ward.
"A lot of older people like seeing someone younger in council because they think it brings some fresh blood and new ideas," she said.
Meanwhile, Kapiti Coast District has elected New Zealand's first openly lesbian mayor. Former Environment Commissioner Jenny Rowan came out as a lesbian while mayor of Inglewood from 1986 to 1989. She told website GayNZ.com this was the first time she had been elected to public office as an "out" lesbian.
And in Napier, the city's longest-serving councillor has been elected for a final term promising to try to get more performing dolphins for the tourist attraction Marineland.
Harry Lawson presented a 13,000-signature petition to Parliament calling for new dolphins and says he had to stand again to support the petitioners.
Only one of the dolphins remains, as the council has not been allowed to replace the captive dolphins as they have died.