As a Māori and Pasifika lead approach to minimising gambling harm, it made sense to place our cultures at the heart of our brand identity. Working with artist Graham Tipene, we created a unifying device that conveyed the essence of our endeavour.

“He ringa maukaha, he ringa awhi, he ringa mou. A tight grasp, a helping embrace, a hand for you. Addiction, acknowledgment, acceptance of help.

We knew we had to come at it differently for our people. Something authentic. Something we knew was tika, was right”.

The logo stems from a circular tohu which represents a cycle of activity and depicts the themes of manaaki, strength through adversity and protection. Also within this piece are Te Ringa Akiaki, helping hands of those who endeavour to tautoko our individuals and support them to practise safer ways to gamble, or completely stop if they choose to. In addition to the final logo, there are two artworks (one Māori and one Pasifika), that contain culturally specific iconography, that speak to our Safer Gambling Aotearoa ambitions. These secondary elements, when combined with the corresponding translation, allow our communications to become more culturally specific.

Rather than dwelling on the sober reality of problem gambling, the brand identity expresses energy and vibrancy, reflecting the world of enticing lights, colour and graphics associated with gaming but ultimately shifting the focus toward a positive outcome for all.