Description:

Ngāti Porou Hauora is a public health provider in a low socio-economic region with appalling health statistics. The dwindling population and lack of government support threatened the viability of the only Maori-owned and run hospital in the world. Our brief was to collaboratively reposition and revitalise Ngāti Porou Hauora to positively impact the future of Nāti and attract new funding. Even though the previous identity reflected their tradition and culture, it did not mirror their proactive and progressive thinking. The dedicated and resilient team, driven to create unique and innovative models of community care, had a bold vision of restoring the health of the community in just one generation. We engaged the whānau to collectively define and evolve the identity and positioning of Nāti’s health services. This resulted in a new framework titled Nāti and Hearty. Multiple visits, open conversations, and genuine interactions with the community helped us develop and inject the appropriate meaning and cultural richness into our design process.

Our spark for the concept came from their sense of community and deep connection to the land. Nāti are stronger together, supporting each other and collectively working through life's challenges. The updated identity is powerful, raw, and knowledgeable. It stands for progression and togetherness, with wellness at its core. By visualising a sense of momentum and direction within the mark, we established a connection to the past delivered in a modern way leading Nāti into the future. The lines represent the individual services of Ngāti Porou Hauora. They come together to create one force, an idea that is reflective of their operating principles. Inspired by Ngāti Porou's honed craft of weaving flax, the lines intertwine and speak to their ingenuity. The cradled Koru at the centre brings a sense of care and renewal.

Beyond the logo, the identity incorporates an image world that captures the raw beauty and vastness of the land within which Ngāti Porou Hauora operates. A bold colour scheme of copper, white, and charcoal strikes a delicate balance between warmth and strength. Within the portfolio, we developed a series of sub-brands for each of the operational pillars: Total Life Care (Nāti Pakeke), Sustainable Food & Nutrition (Nāti Haumanu), Community Clinics (Nāti Health), Maternal Care (Nāti Pēpi), The Regional Hospital (Te Puia Springs) and Research and Innovation Partnerships (Nāti Wānaga). The brand identity extended across several touchpoints, from wayfinding to digital and print. At the tail end of the process, we trained the team to coordinate final implementations to ensure future ownership of the brand.

We proudly achieved our goal of helping Ngāti Porou Hauora onto the world stage to attract Sponsors, Doctors and funding, enabling them to reclaim and restore their health and strive to stand proud within one generation.