Ngā Rauru Kītahi
Good for you, good for them too.
Kaitahi means to ‘eat as one’, in that the company is good for local iwi, but also those who consume their products.
Client
Ngā Rauru Kītahi
Project
Kaitahi Brand and Packaging
Location
South Taranaki, Aotearoa
Year
2018
-
2020
Role
Creative Director, Designer
Agency
DNA Design and Provenance
Category
Natural Wholefoods
Contributors
Leonie Matoe – Client
Lindsay Keats – Photography
Brand Strategy
Naming
Visual Identity
Brand Story
Packaging Design
Art Direction
Copywriting
Event Design
Detailed Design
Ngā Rauru Kītahi, a South Taranaki Iwi, embarked on an innovative project: creating revenue streams for their people using their own resources. They developed a unique way to create fresh, cold smoothies – all without the mess – using traditional Māori ingredients like Kawakawa, Pūhā, and Kūmara. These delicious fruits, greens, seeds, and native staples blended into a nutritious superfood range, offering a convenient and healthy option.
To Ngā Rauru Kītahi, this is more than just beautifully combined natural ingredients, it is a product that goes to feeding one's Mauri (Lifeforce).
Initially, they considered the name 'Smooju'. However, we helped them create a name closer to their cultural identity. "Kaitahi" signifies the act of communal eating, reflecting the communal spirit behind the project and their focus on serving the needs of everyone.
Functionally, the product offers two formats: food service quantities and smaller, consumer-sized frozen packets. These frozen droplets, ready to be mixed with water for a fresh smoothie, retain all the goodness of their natural ingredients, sourced from the Iwi's nearby rohe (lands).
At its core, the brand embodies the values of natural nutrition and community empowerment. The marketing and communication assets we created capture this essence. A vibrant illustrative style showcases the fresh flavors of the ingredients, while bespoke patterns derived from the brand mark complete the visual identity.
Ngā Rauru Kītahi wanted to make sure the brand was owned by everyone in the iwi, that it felt like them. They were proud of the results, that something that came from all their hard work was playing out in a compelling brand story they really could take pride in.
It was important all the messaging reflected the key consumer benefits. While the product format is unique, it still had to pass the ‘goodness that tastes good’ when it came to consumer preference.
Kaitahi has become an inadvertent flag the iwi fly. You can see the pride in their faces when they’re demonstrating the product at food shows.