Haka is here
Te Matatini, the pinnacle of kapa haka, was set to return after a Covid hiatus in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa's largest and most multicultural city. Tātaki Auckland Unlimited tasked us with the challenge of making this the biggest Te Matatini ever, and building Tāmaki's brand as a cultural capital of the world. However, with a large audience that had limited experience with kapa haka, we needed to drive reevaluation and break through preconceptions.
Our insight was ihi wehi and wana, the elements that make kapa haka so impactful. Ihi is the magnetism that performers project on the kapa haka stage, it's the x-factor that makes the audience experience wehi, awe. We needed a campaign that spoke to existing haka fans…and new haka fans alike - to showcase the power of top tier kapa haka, whilst also nodding to Tāmaki's role as a cultural hub. Our strategy was to create an approach that was mana enhancing for the initiated, and informative and accessible for the uninitiated, while tying it back to Tāmaki.
Our campaign line, ‘Haka is Here, captured the long-awaited return of Te Matatini, and the fact that Auckland would be hosting, and celebrating with haka fever across the city. It had gravitas and spoke to the excitement and magic of the event. Working with some of the world’s top performers we created artwork that captured the essence of Ihi, wehi and wana. We collaborated with some of the world's best kapa haka performers to create a multi-channel campaign that featured stylised photography and a video with a contemporary soundtrack gave Kapa Haka a twist and let people know it might be more than they expect.