January 30, 2014
Black and white flag would be a mistake
A branding expert from Massey University has welcomed the Prime Minister raising the issue of New Zealand’s flag, but
says we should not race to adopt a silver fern on a black background.
“We need a flag that draws attention when people are glancing our way. That requires colour, rather than being
black-and-white,” says Professor Malcolm Wright, deputy head of Massey’s College of Business.
“Black-and-white works for Kiwis because it looms large in our consciousness, but that is unlikely to be the case for
people from other countries. It’s not widely used commercially – just google ‘black-and-white logos’ and see if you like
the results.”
Professor Wright says New Zealand’s current flag is a major branding problem and, while no one would suggest a flag
should be chosen for purely expedient reasons, it “is in effect our national logo and should be distinctive and reflect
New Zealand values and images”.
“Unfortunately the New Zealand flag is not unique. Compare it to the Stars and Stripes or the Maple Leaf. Our current
flag simply says we are one of several ex-British colonies, so I agree with the Prime Minister that is it time for a
change.”
Professor Wright recommends using a single symbol that reflects New Zealanders’ own sense of identity, but not
restricting the flag to a monochrome colour scheme.
“My recommendation would be for a single symbol, whether it be the Southern Cross, the silver fern or some kind of
koru,” he says. “Using multiple symbols confuses people – it creates competing activation in memory networks, making it
less likely that processing takes place.”
He believes the Māori Tino Rangatiratanga and Hundertwasser flags provide the right sort of inspiration.
“Both these flags are distinctive and contain simple yet strong symbolism – but, again, I don’t think the colours are
right. We need richer colours that are more likely to draw attention and provide rich stimuli to encourage cognitive
engagement, such as the green of our forests or the blue of our skies.
“That’s not all that hard so, ideally, we should design several good possibilities that meet these criteria, have
widespread discussion about them, and present them in a referendum.”
ENDS