RUN Celebrates Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with Tiki-Inspired Design Series

For Māori-owned, independent creative agency RUN, te reo Māori (the Māori language) is part of their everyday. So, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) this year, they’re honouring the language by creating a series of heitiki designs.

Released across the week via the RUN agency social media channels, each design draws inspiration from a different whakataukī (proverb), celebrating the wisdom and beauty of te ao Māori through contemporary design.

The series is anchored by the kīwaha: “Heia tō ihi, heitiki,”  composed for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori to encourage Aotearoa to wear and share the iconic heitiki of the kaupapa with pride on social media.

Once complete, the designs will be produced as fine art prints and gifted to Te Uru Karaka Newton Central School’s Te Whānau Awahou o Te Aka Pūkāea unit, supporting their kaupapa of nurturing and growing te reo Māori in the next generation.

Says Raymond Otene McKay (Ngaati Mahuta, Ngāti Pūkeko, Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Porou), Kaiwhakahaere Matua (CCO) at RUN: “We bring authenticity to all the mahi we produce, aligning with taha Māori processes and staying true to te ao Māori values. This initiative is both a celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and a way for RUN to tautoko kura, whānau, and the revitalisation of te reo Māori through a creative campaign.”

In previous years, RUN has marked Te Wiki o te Reo Māori by renaming their agency ‘Oma’, and produced a series of oral language videos featuring red lips against colourful backgrounds, teaching te reo Māori words and phrases. The agency is recognised in the industry as a specialist in Māori and Pasifika kaupapa, with a distinct indigenous perspective. Many of their clients are Māori and Pasifika organisations, purpose-driven projects, and businesses wanting to engage meaningfully with these audiences.