Local faces in local places support Māori vaccine campaigns

Thanks to a generous koha from Māori-owned company Go Media, Karawhiua has created a beautiful gallery of digital billboards which encourage whānau and Māori communities around the country to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Published: Rātū, 21 Mahuru, 2021 | Tuesday, 21 September 2021

Go Media gifted space on more than 50 digital billboards at the start of lockdown, thanks to a referral from Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori, which have already had millions of impressions. 

The Karawhiua team has customised more than 100 billboard images for iwi and Māori who chose to supply messaging in te reo Māori and English and local images to better reflect their own voices, people and places.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has a series of bilingual billboards inviting whānau Māori living in Tāmaki Makaurau to iwi-led vaccination centres.

The chair, Marama Royal, says as ahi kā of Tāmaki Makaurau it’s important that they engage with whānau, hapori, and wider city.

“The placement of the Karawhiua billboards across our rohe supports this. It is also exciting to see familiar Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei faces fronting this campaign.”

The initiative by the Karawhiua team is part of its partnership and co-design approach to supporting the hard work that is happening on the ground.

The campaign also provides  posters, factsheets, social media tiles and other useful resources in te reo Māori and English via the Karawhiua resources page. The team has responded to more than 100 requests for co-branded logos, bespoke resources, design services and marketing advice to iwi and Māori around the country.

Karawhiua is led by Te Puni Kōkiri and co-delivered by Te Hiringa Hauora – Health Promotion Agency who are providing the design services. The national campaign was created to motivate and mobilise Māori to get vaccinated against COVID-19.