The Story Behind Our Rebrand

A tribute to our legacy logo

At a Council meeting on 26 May 1987, shortly after the local government reforms, Mayor Cliff Owen and elected members adopted Wairoa District Council’s current logo.

The design was presented by Miss Toni Watkins from the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. She explained the concept was simple, eye-catching and suitable for many uses, reproducing well in both colour and black and white.

The design used the district colours and featured a river on a dark green background with a red koru motif representing the strong Māori influence in Wairoa.

In the following years the logo evolved, with dark green colour changed to a lighter shade and the yellow banner with “Wairoa District Council” wording added.

This identity has served us well, but it no longer fully reflects our direction or meets modern communication needs.

Reasons for rebranding

Reflecting contemporary governance and strengthening community connection

Heraldic shields were once standard for councils, but most local authorities in New Zealand have moved away from them over the past two decades. This shift reflects broader changes in governance, communication, and public expectations, not just design trends.

While traditional shields convey formality and heritage, they can also signal bureaucracy and distance. A refreshed identity provides an opportunity to communicate openness, partnership, and responsiveness - values increasingly expected of local government.

Current trends in New Zealand local government branding show a move toward simplified, culturally grounded, and bilingually integrated identities that better reflect place and community.

Improved legibility and accessibility

Today’s branding must perform across a wide range of digital and physical applications, including social media, mobile devices, websites, and video.

Modern logos are designed to remain clear and recognisable at small sizes (e.g. mobile screens and profile icons). By comparison, the legacy logo performs poorly in accessibility contexts, with reduced clarity and legibility at smaller scales. Workarounds to address these limitations have also introduced inconsistency across applications.

This is increasingly important given digital reach: the Wairoa District Council Facebook page recorded 5.1 million views over the past year. In 2025, 77.4% of New Zealanders aged 13+ used Facebook, with 98.5% of global users accessing the platform via mobile.

Cost efficiency over time

The current logo requires more complex and costly reproduction, particularly in applications such as print and merchandise where multiple colours increase production and setup costs.

A simplified identity reduces these costs over time while improving consistency across materials.

Futureproofing

A simplified, flexible logo system - synthesised from the legacy version and anchored in local identity - will perform more effectively across emerging technologies and platforms, while maintaining a timeless quality that avoids short-lived design trends.

A symbol anchored in place

Wairoa is inseparable from its awa. Reflecting the significance of the Wairoa River to the identity and history of the district, this central element has been retained and reinterpreted through negative space.

Integrated within this form is a koru motif, representing growth, renewal, and the unfolding future. In a local context, it can also be understood as referencing the river bar at the mouth of the Wairoa River, a defining natural feature that represents transition and the meeting of river and sea.

Extending beyond the circle’s boundaries, the river links the land to the coast, mountains to sea, past to future, and upstream to downstream communities expressing permeability and the enduring life force of the community.

The porowhita (circle) represents unity and interconnectedness between whenua (land) and moana (sea), acknowledging Wairoa’s coastal setting within Hawke’s Bay and its strong environmental and cultural relationships. As the whenua domain returns to its legacy dark green tone, the addition of the moana domain strengthens the symbol’s relevance to our coastal communities.

Using “Bush Green” and “Sea Mist” in the logo rather than the conventional civic blue-green palette creates sector differentiation while establishing a distinctive colour scheme that captures the optical complexity of local coastal waters and expresses the conceptual unity of land and sea.

The new logo adopts an interlocking bilingual model, in which the geographic anchor “WAIROA” functions as a shared element between the two languages. Positioned centrally and appearing only once, it serves both te reo Māori and English simultaneously, reducing duplication and strengthening visual cohesion.

This approach enables both language components to be presented in equally sized type, supporting linguistic parity while enhancing clarity and balance. It also contributes to key branding outcomes, including memorability, scalability, and visual harmony.

The condensed Māori form used in the logo is a deliberate design decision to support parity, balance, and practical application across formats. It retains the essential meaning and reference to place, while allowing for a more efficient and cohesive identity expression. The full formal Māori name remains in use for official and ceremonial contexts.

Vibe Print

The three domains of the logo Moana, Awa, and Whenua express a layered narrative of identity, connection, and purpose. Together, they symbolise the interconnected realms of ocean, river, and land, reflecting both the natural environment and the values that shape the organisation’s direction. When accompanied by the “Vibe Print,” each domain is infused with broadly relevant words that convey shared associations and aspirations, anchoring meaning in a visual language of depth, flow, and foundation. This interplay creates a rich and cohesive story, one that honours place, embodies collective values, and communicates a unified vision for the future.

Core concepts embedded in the logo

Moana — Mana

Depth. Strength. Integrity.

Like the moana, leadership must carry depth and quiet strength. Mana is not claimed, it is upheld through service, consistency, and trust. We lead with presence, responsibility, and enduring commitment. 

Awa — Atawhai

Flow. Connection. Care.

The awa sustains the land and connects communities. Atawhai flows through our work, nurturing relationships and strengthening connection. We serve with compassion and steady care.

Whenua — Whakamōwaitanga

Humility. Balance. Foresight.

The whenua reminds us we belong to something greater than ourselves. Whakamōwaitanga anchors our leadership in humility and balance guiding us to listen, to work with the natural rhythms of our environment, and to act with foresight. We nurture and protect the wellbeing of our land and community for past, present, and future generations.

United in the Porowhita

Balanced. Connected. Interdependent.

Together, these elements form a holistic system of governance and people, inseparable and evolving together, balancing action, care, identity, and reflection. A Porowhita of our people.

What else is changing?

 We are introducing a refined and consistent visual identity system - emphasising clarity and intent to deliver precise, meaningful communication.

This includes:

• An adaptable logo with in-built strategic flexibility which provides a stable foundation for future campaigns, partnerships, and sub-brands
• Inclusive identity grounded in the district's environment and history
• A distinct restrained colour palette
• Modern, highly legible typography optimised for digital environments
• Consistent design standards.

A 2-tier font system

Tier 1: Brand & product For all high-fidelity, designer-controlled environments, Inter is our primary font for its modern, neutral, and highly legible characteristics. Created by Swedish designer Rasmus Andersson, the Inter font family consists of nine weights, each with a corresponding italic, for a total of 18 styles. It delivers a crisp, modern look optimised for screens, with excellent character disambiguation. Its clean lines and precise spacing enhance clarity, supporting fast reading and a contemporary, efficient visual language. Because of its large x-height, Inter remains highly legible at small sizes on screen. Inter’s true italics introduce emphasis with a dynamic feel and a humanistic touch while maintaining clarity, aligning with a forward-looking, digital-first brand expression. The restrained confidence offered by Inter supports materials that rely on strong photography and disciplined typography, allowing content to speak without distraction or unnecessary embellishment.

What about the cost?

Delivered entirely in-house, the rebrand follows a staged rollout to keep costs low. Digital platforms are prioritised, with printed materials replaced as needed.

The cost of not changing

• Increasing inconsistency across materials
• Accessibility risks over time
• Ongoing ad hoc design cost
• Reduced clarity in how we present ourselves
• Reduced legibility at smaller sizes and across digital platforms
• Higher reproduction costs due to multi-colour logo use.

This rebrand is a thoughtful investment in our future: strengthening our identity, enhancing connection with our community, and positioning us with confidence for the opportunities ahead.

Logo assets

 WDC logo: two colourways

Ghost mark – an understated version for use where minimal visual impact is required