Typecasting Kiwis

A national identity is a hard thing to pin down, especially for one of the world’s younger countries, with a comparatively slim history book to draw from.

If ads are a marker of the Kiwi character, you’re most likely to encounter a beach-going, happy-go-lucky farmer, with a love of rugby and a relaxed approach to fashion; innovative yet humble, the type who’s mastered the art of barbequing and could help you knock up a bloody good fence in an afternoon.

New Zealand’s Mad Men-era ‘Father of Advertising’ David Ogilvy saw his craft as a means “to reflect the mores of society”. Looking back over the past decade of TV ads offers up some extreme, and sometimes ridiculous, attempts to take a punt at representing the ever-evolving qualities of a New Zealander.