A new flag for
New Zealand
The curious case of the Kiwis
Many nations have official brands complete with logos, color palettes, and even national fonts. Of those brands, I believe New Zealand has one of the most unique.
I visited New Zealand in 2010 knowing not much more than the flag, that the Lord of the Rings was filmed there and Kiwi birds somehow still exist in this predator-less paradise. I was surprised when I saw people at customs with black passports. When looking at NZ’s entire branding scheme, the color Black, Maori designs and the Silver Fern show up almost everywhere. Even with such a diverse population, it seems to be generally accepted that Black is the main national color and the Fern, the national icon.
A quick note about Maori
Unlike most other countries birthed out of British imperialism, the indigenous culture of New Zealand (or Aotearoa) shines bright. Even though the native Maori people have modernized and adapted to 21st century life, their influence is still visible and celebrated.
One thing that has survived is Maori tattoo design. A lot of their designs have subtle hints of ferns and natural elements. It can be seen in some NZ brands such as Air New Zealand’s logo.
So what’s wrong with their flag?
Even though Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (among many others) are still technically under the crown, most modern citizens have no loyalties to the UK. That’s why, in the early 1960's, Canada had “The Great Flag Debate” to remove the Union Jack hence came up with the beautiful maple leaf we know today. Many Kiwis want to do the same.
You’ve probably heard of the famous NZ national rugby team, the All Blacks, or at least their Haka. But you probably haven’t heard of their national basketball team, the Tall Blacks. Not to mention the Black Caps cricket team, Ice Blacks hockey team, and the Black Sox softball team. You get the picture.
So naturally you’d expect the flag to be black…right?
Wrong
Another issue is that Australia and New Zealand both feature the Union Jack and southern cross on their flag, rendering them very similar. In fact, when Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke visited Canada in 1985, Ottawa was mistakenly decked out with New Zealand flags in his honor.
Currently there are 54 countries in the commonwealth and only five, including the UK itself, still feature the Union Jack. Of these five, I believe NZ, with its already strong national brand, has the best case for a redesign.
It could happen in 2016
That’s right, New Zealand just announced that in 2016, they will vote on whether to get a new flag. If the nation votes yes, they will choose a new design later in 2016.
This has been a long time coming. Many people have been dreaming of a redesign for many years. In 2004, NZflag.com became one of the main voices for change. Their design is also my absolute favorite.
Changing a flag is a big deal
Companies can change logos every few years to stay hip. Flags on the other hand, hold much more meaning, pride, nationalism and history. As much as I believe NZ needs a flag that represents them better, men have died for the current flag. Changing the flag should be hard for that reason. It should be a topic discussed for as long as it needs.
As we know too well, sudden nonconsensual flag changes usually indicate unrest in much more than the vexillogical world. I’m looking at you Germany.
Branding the Nations is a project by designer Michael Green in an attempt to explore the largest “brands” on earth, our nations. Flags, passports, currency, all of these things are designs that effect our view of entire nations and their people. Michael hopes to turn these ramblings into a book in the near future.
Further Reading
I’ll leave you with some other designs I have found around the internet, including some created by my fellow flag nerds over on the Vexillology sub-reddit.
