Meet the new face of cheese advert

Des Tipa is the new face on a Mainland Cheese commercial in which he impersonates a tortoise to calm his grandaughter's nerves. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery

An 80-year-old Waikouaiti actor stuck his neck out to "try something new'' and became the latest face of Mainland Cheese.

Des Tipa watched the premiere broadcast of the latest Mainland Cheese advertisement with his wife, children and grandchildren at his Waikouaiti home on Sunday.

In the commercial, Mr Tipa plays Jack, who reassures his on-screen granddaughter Rose, who is nervous about leaving New Zealand for her "big OE''.

"I gradually get her around to where she is happy to leave,'' he said yesterday.

In the advert, he compares his granddaughter's upcoming travel to how she hated blue cheese until she tried it.

The encouragement continues when he impersonates "Mr Tortoise'', who always "sticks his neck out'' to try something new.

The 30-second commercial ends with the slogan: "It's good to try new things.''

During the "several takes'' of the commercial, the two actors had to eat slices from about 30 rounds of cheese.

He liked the taste of blue cheese but his co-star, Emily Laurich, of Auckland, did not.

Mr Tipa would eat the cheese but Ms Laurich would spit it out between takes.

Mr Tipa's wife, Myra, said her husband was in a "fit of giggles'' after the commercial aired on Sunday.

The commercial was filmed in a farmhouse in Queenstown on a Sunday in June last year.

Mr Tipa had been a member of the East Otago Drama and Musical Society since its inception in 2009.

He landed the role after talent scouts emailed the society searching for male actors aged between 70 and 80.

He travelled to Queenstown twice for auditions and was "caught in snow'' on the way - the detour adding about 100km to the journey. But the commercial was fun and worth the effort.

Des Tipa with Emily Laurich, of Auckland, during the filming of a Mainland Cheese commercial in Queenstown.

Mr Tipa had appeared on television once before - the Maori Television singing contest Maorioke about 10 years ago. He sang I Left My Heart in San Francisco by Tony Bennett but failed to progress past the first stage.

Mr Tipa follows the fine tradition of Otago men in Mainland's advertisements.

Bryan Woodhouse, better known in Omakau as Ginge, featured in an advertisement last year and the late Kevin Corcoran, of Cromwell, was one half of a duo in the "Good Things Take Time'' series for more than 10 years.