Tuakiritaka, Otago’s rebrand, was recognised with a gold award in the graphic (large brand identity) category, and a silver award in the Toitanga category; while the Down For It campaign won silver in the moving image (motion design and animation) category, and the university’s bespoke font Wickliffe Type Family was also awarded a silver in the graphic (design craft) category.
The awards are one of Australasia’s largest annual showcases of excellence in design.
The new logo was unveiled on May 1, on the Dunedin campus’ St David St plinth, as part of a $1.3 million rebranding.
While the name University of Otago remained, the te reo name was changed to Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka — a metaphor meaning "a place of many firsts".
The new tohu (logo) drew inspiration from the Ōtākou channel in Otago Harbour and was the culmination of years of discussion and engagement with runaka.
It represents the two-way current of the Ōtākou channel in Otago Harbour, which has always brought life to and from the region — just as the university brings and shares knowledge across Aotearoa.
The design emphasises the importance of relationships, reciprocity and the transmission of knowledge between generations.
At the time of the unveiling, Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou upoko (head) Edward Ellison said the adoption of the te reo name was an important step in the evolution of the university.
"We see this as the university building on its foundations as being Te Tiriti-led."
Otago marketing director Hone Paul said the awards were a huge honour and he was delighted with the recognition of the rebrand as being among the best in New Zealand.
"For this mahi to be acknowledged alongside leading and innovative New Zealand brands, and previous gold award winners like Blunt, Stuff and Jasmax, [this] is great recognition of all the talented collaborators that worked on the Tuakiritaka project."
Collaborators included Auckland-based branding agency Designworks.
"Significantly, this kaupapa (cause) would not have been possible without the collaboration of mana whenua, whose mātauraka [knowledge] enabled the creation of our new identity," Mr Paul said.
The Toitanga award, a special category which acknowledged the unique lineage and origin of Māori storytelling and artistic expression, recognised the rebrand’s collaborative process with mana whenua in creating a brand identity that celebrates Otago’s indigenous culture, heritage and sense of place.
Otago future student marketing manager Lucy Bell said the Down For It video campaign, which won a silver award, built on the Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka metaphor, meaning "a place of many firsts".
"The campaign acknowledges that, for many students, their Otago journey starts when they physically make their way to campus ahead of the academic year, and acts as a wero of what lies ahead at university.
"Down For It uses footage of real first-year students making their way to Otago, with design and animation building the story and sharing additional elements of the Otago experience."
Mr Paul said the awards success was testament to those who worked passionately on the project, including Otago staff and the creative teams further north.
