Aotearoa’s national bird vanishes from major brands in wake-up call campaign via EightyOne
Iconic New Zealand brands including Lotto NZ, KiwiRail, New Zealand Rugby League (the Kiwis), Tui Garden Products, Wētā Workshop and Save the Kiwi are just some of the organisations removing the kiwi from their branding as part of a bold new national campaign Call Yourself a Kiwi?, created by Wellington-based agency EightyOne, to save Aotearoa’s national bird.
As part of the Predator Free 2050 movement, elite law firm Russell McVeagh has added a provocative twist: a satirical video threatening New Zealanders with legal action for using the “Kiwi” brand — unless they help protect the bird it comes from.
The tongue-in-cheek legal threat underpins a powerful nationwide campaign which launched tonight (Wednesday at 8pm NZT) during one of New Zealand’s most-watched TV moments, the live Lotto draw. As part of the campaign, major brands will begin erasing the kiwi from their online presence to spotlight kiwis’ rapid population decline.
The Call Yourself a Kiwi? campaign is a month-long drive urging all six million New Zealanders to support the vision of a predator-free Aotearoa.
During the Lotto draw, Lotto NZ revealed the mystery behind the kiwi’s disappearance from the Instant Kiwi game on its website.
Says Genna Duff, Head of Brand, Lotto NZ: “The kiwi isn’t just part of our logo – it’s part of our identity, and a reminder of what makes Aotearoa home. We’ve carried its name proudly through our Instant Kiwi brand, and it’s fantastic to support efforts that help protect this native taonga.
“Funds raised by Lotto NZ players have been distributed to Predator Free Wellington by Te Puna Tahua Lottery Grants Board, so we are deeply familiar with the wonderful mahi carried out by the organisation.”
Lotto NZ’s live-television reveal is the opening salvo of the campaign. Lotto NZ will be joined by several major New Zealand organisations, including KiwiRail, New Zealand Rugby League team, Tui Garden Products and Save the Kiwi.
Some are taking the extraordinary step of erasing the kiwi and its mates from their brands to raise funds for the predator-free movement, protecting New Zealand’s precious native flora and fauna.
High-profile New Zealanders, including comedians Rhys Darby and Karen O’Leary, actors Robyn Malcolm and Miranda Harcourt, and former Director-General of Health Sir Ashley Bloomfield, are also backing the campaign, as is leading law firm Russell McVeagh.
Says Tim Clarke, Russell McVeagh partner, who stars in the film: “For more than 150 years, people and organisations have used the kiwi identity without permission, for names, logos, brands, merchandise, flags and memorabilia. Russell McVeagh would be proud, should the opportunity arise, to represent the interests of the kiwi in asserting its rights.”
Predator Free New Zealand Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan says calling ourselves Kiwi comes with responsibility and opportunity: “It’s hard not to feel powerless in the face of extinction, but this campaign flips that on its head. It’s about giving people a tangible way to show they care, by funding real, on-the-ground predator control that protects the wildlife that defines us.”
James Willcocks, of Predator Free Wellington, says the Call Yourself A Kiwi? campaign will give native animals and plants a fighting chance against the multitude of threats to their survival: “Kiwi, along with 4,000 of New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna, are under threat. Every year an estimated 25 million native birds are killed by predators in New Zealand – that’s 68,000 every night. Kiwi numbers are declining at about 2% every year.
“And without them and their mates, how could we possibly call ourselves Kiwi?
“Let’s make sure this never happens. Donate today, and be proud to call yourself a Kiwi. And ensure the survival of all of New Zealand’s amazing native species through a predator-free Aotearoa.”
Michelle Impey, CEO of Save the Kiwi, says the organisation is proud to support the campaign: “Above all else, kiwi need to be safe from introduced predators in order to thrive. The Predator Free movement is a crucial part of controlling those threats.
“One of our roles is to help source and translocate kiwi to areas made safe by others. Recently, we have worked together to reestablish kiwi in the hills of Wellington, made possible through this collaboration.’’
The Call Yourself a Kiwi? campaign is presented by the Predator Free New Zealand Trust to support large-scale urban and rural predator elimination projects.
These landscape-scale projects are removing rats, possums, and mustelids from urban areas, farmland, forests, and coastlines while determining what it takes to make each environment predator-free.
Donations to the Call Yourself a Kiwi? campaign directly funds the essential tools, cutting-edge technology, and dedicated field teams, making predator-free New Zealand a reality.
To donate, head to callyourselfakiwi.nz
Client: Predator Free Wellington – Briony Ellis & James Willcocks
Predator Free New Zealand Trust – Jessi Morgan & Allison Hess
Agency: EightyOne
Website development: Splash Digital
Media Agency: EightyOne Media
PR Agency: Better Aotearoa
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