17 October 2024 at 10:30 am
New brand identity of the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme launching next week
A refreshed brand and visual identity for the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme will launch on 23 October.
Education providers and suppliers who are part of the programme will be able to start using the new brand’s design assets from The ENZ BrandLab from 23 October.
The Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship website will also prominently showcase the refreshed brand from next week.
The new Manaaki logo consists of three parts. The tohu is on the left, the Manaaki wordmark is placed in the middle, with the Aotearoa New Zealand fernmark on the right-hand side.
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Manatū Aorere (MFAT) Scholarships Unit Manager, Alexandra Grace, said it was important for the new brand identity to reflect the transformational nature of Manaaki scholarships to build people’s skills and support them to contribute positively to their communities and countries.
“The new brand is an exciting step forward to unify the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme’s visual identity to appeal to prospective scholars who are most aligned with our Programme’s values,” Alexandra said.
He parirau is one of the key patterns of the new brand. It is inspired by the takarangi (spiral) and parirau (feathers).
The brand identity development and working group involved kaimahi Māori from MFAT, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao and Indigenous Design Innovation Aotearoa (IDIA) who gifted a specially crafted whakatauākī* for the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme.
The whakatauākī ‘He Parirau Toro Ao’ translates to ‘stretch your wings to the world’.
ENZ’s Senior Advisor, Rautaki Māori, Craig Rofe, said the whakatauākī is a profound taonga and gift to the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme.
“It beautifully anchors the programme in āhua Māori (Māori ways of being).”
“We are also pleased with how the whole process of creating the new brand has been steeped in āhua Māori. The way everyone involved in the project used whakawhanaungatanga – the specific act of getting to know one another before we started our work – and wānanga, coming together to meet, discuss and deliberate, every step of the way, made all the difference,” Craig said.
Digital banners showing the application of the brand and whakatauākī.
The new brand was developed following research and interviews with 29 scholars and alumni, and a survey covering 627 people.
The research surfaced three compelling principles for the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme – manaakitanga, empowering people, communities and countries, and fostering enduring connections.
ENZ’s Manaaki Scholarships Manager, Nancy Linton, said the concept of manaakitanga is integral to the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Programme – not only by name, but also in the way that scholars are supported during their entire journey, from application and study to their return home.
“The manaaki we show our visitors by embracing them like part of our ‘whānau’ or family is visible in the way our educational providers extend that support to Manaaki scholars and alumni, who really value it as part of their study experience.
“I am pleased with the way we have incorporated this core element of the Programme, among others, into the new brand identity,” Nancy said.
A brand transition period is in place through 28 February 2025, to allow providers enough time to switch to new brand assets.
Visit The ENZ BrandLab to access new design assets for the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme after 24 October.
* Whakatauākī are proverbs where the person who said it first is known, as opposed to whakataukī, which are proverbs whose origin cannot be traced to a person.
