83 – New Zealanders in Global Headlines September 29

New Zealanders featured in this week's survey of global media including NY and LA Times, Time, The Telegraph, Guardian, Observer and Age, Sydney Morning Herald and NowPublic.com include:

• Sam Neill talks Pinot Noir to Time: “fickle, voluptuous and complex"
• Crowded House give "emotion-drenched performance" in LA theater
• Debuts, divas and “dark intellectual designs” at AirNZ Fashion Week
• Chris Kissling, John Tiffin publish on the global transport solutions
• Ian ‘Gandalf’ McKellen in NZ as Lear with Royal Shakespeare Co
• Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts exhibiting Longitude in Rarotonga
• AirNZ launches Pink Flight from SF to Sydney for Mardi Gras 08
• Jean Paul Gaultier's models brazened with Moko in European Vogue
• Paul and Kahra Scott-James's Graham selected for Filminute 2007
• More recognition for healing properties of NZ Manuka honey
• Spirit NZ ship nom’d for Nobel Peace Prize: coached 75,000 youth
• Weta Workshop make mermaid tale for amputee swimmer
• Flight of the Conchords HBO series a US sleeper hit, now in UK
• Chris Tate's Titirangi house a glass box floating in the treetops

For full stories see http://www.nzedge.com/media, a 5,000-story storehouse of international activities by New Zealanders 2000-07.
Picture Peter Hunt for Time, of Sam Neill and family at Two Paddocks Vineyard

Denis O'Reilly Blog #18: "How to Break Out"

Denis O’Reilly’s series Nga Kupu Aroha/Words of Love (#18, 3,300 words), from the living edge of Aotearoa

• A headline from gangland: better employment and health
• Managing crime and punishment in New Zealand; restorative justice vs the Maricopa Country chain-gang method; the passing of Joseph Roberts, mentor, coach and American Eagle; gang policies in NY (community development) vs LA (suppressive policing); recognition for Ecuador’s Latin Kings
• Tigilau Ness documentary From Street to Sky; Robert Muldoon and Rastafarianism; social rage directed into art; “music speaks louder than words”
• The coronation of Kingi Tuheitia; Bishop Paraone Turei’s sermon affirming “whakakotahi (collective unity) and the desirability of enabling Maori to be unique
• Papakainga: architecture, whanau housing and the Hawkes Bay village settlement project

Whakapapa

From Kevin Roberts. USA Rugby people got together just before the World Cup kick-off for a meeting of the new Congress and the new Board, of which I am Chair. The talk was around how we could all pull together to inspire Americans to fall in love with rugby. Core to this dream were a couple of beliefs.

The first is that rugby is a game that can be played and enjoyed by everyone, irrespective of body shape or size. Second, only rugby transcends the local to create a timeless global fraternity. I have also found that only rugby forges brotherhood through blood and respect, creating unbreakable bonds. As most of you know by now, the great passion of my life is centered on the New Zealand All Blacks. To me, they have always been the living embodiment of unbreakable bonds. They have now begun what will hopefully turn out to be a 7-week odyssey to win the Rugby World Cup for all of New Zealand.

I have written previously about the Maori concept of Whakapapa, which explains a person’s place in the world. It is genealogy merged with mythology, spirituality and sustainability - a simple, beautiful view of the world. New Zealand’s indigenous people, the Maori, see themselves as part of a flowing line of ancestors linked arm and arm, from the beginning of time through to the present, and into the future through yet to be born forebears. The sun moves slowly along this interlinking chain of people and it signifies each person’s life as it shines down upon each of them. And so during every life, the individual is seen as a representative of the people and the custodian of the people’s heritage and values. The chain is unbreakable and the line of people immortal.

These unbreakable bonds are at the core of my own personal value set. A few weekends ago I spent some time thinking about just that, as I traveled back in time with a bunch of mates. I last played rugby with them 40 years ago in Lancaster and we all came together to watch the USA Eagles kick off their World Cup challenge. 40 years on the bond that held us together was still vibrant and real. It also got me thinking about another concept I discovered through great Maori leaders in New Zealand; that of mana. Mana is a Maori word which we can define in English as respect and presence. You know when someone has mana. When they walk into a room, a bar, or any group situation, they are immediately granted respect from those around them. Sometimes no words are spoken. Their presence is enough. Mana is bestowed, not claimed. The character of someone with mana is summed up in a beautiful Maori saying talking about one of their food staples, “the kumara does not talk about its own sweetness”.

Mana comes from Whakapapa and its connections, through to descendants who have performed great deeds, the personal performance of great actions with humbleness, and being part of a group that has bestowed great charity on others.

All three create belonging and legacy. Sean Fitzpatrick exemplifies it. So does Tana Umaga. So did Buck Shelford. And so does Richie McCaw.

KR

Signs of a Nation: The story continues

From Kevin Roberts. Yesterday I talked about Monocle’s 6 ways to brand a nation. In the same issue, they talked about how you can make your country stand out. A few years back, Geoff Vuleta, Derek Lockwood and I were attempting to convince the New Zealand government to give Saatchi & Saatchi a crack at developing an out of the box, extraordinary tourism campaign for New Zealand. A campaign that would put us on the map everywhere. It’s hard to break through the very competitive tourism clutter, and we had an idea that was astonishing in its audacity and innovation. Politics ultimately got in the way and the idea never saw the light. Monocle gives us 10 things to do to make sure your nation can compete with the best of the best. And what are the best nation brands? I’d put Italy, France, Ireland, Switzerland, Singapore and Dubai in my Top 10.

Here’s Monocle’s formula.

1. Develop an appealing national cuisine. Every woman knows the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Look at what France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, China and Thailand have done in this area. One thing’s for sure, New Zealand and Australia are not at the top of the totem pole in this game.
   
2. Develop a local wine, beer or spirit industry. Both New Zealand and Australia have done a fantastic job in wine and beer. Some might argue Bundaberg Rum (but only if you live in Queensland!) and 42Below have proven that nothing is impossible. A vodka from New Zealand. You have to love it.
   
3. Be recognized for being fair and just. New Zealand has taken a very positive stance in this area in terms of female emancipation, our position on the nuclear issue and view on conflicts that have very little to do with us. Visitors don’t want to get involved in Draconian local legislation, corrupt justice systems, or human rights issues.
   
4. Re-engineer the heavens. Neither New Zealand or Australia are faced with this particular problem. What passes for summer in the Northern Hemisphere is our winter, and we’re playing rugby. In the miserable Northern Hemisphere winter, it is summer in God’s Own. Places like Scandinavia successfully re-engineered the heavens by having all their travel photography being shot on that one golden day in July!
   
5. A good brand travels. Last week Air New Zealand was rated the number 2 long distance airline by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Singapore and Dubai owe everything to their 2 magnificent airlines. Unfortunately, British Airways and Heathrow aren’t quite the advertisement they used to be for the UK.
   
6. Behave yourself. Lager louts, race riots, taxi and tube strikes are not the best way to encourage tourism. New Zealand must be in the top 3 in this area with its easy going hospitality and relaxed and friendly population.
   
7. Go easy on religion. Religious fanaticism and extremism is off putting wherever it’s practiced. As Dave Allen said at the end of every show, “May your God go with you”.
   
8. Master infrastructure. Crowded airports, inefficient trains and public transport on strike do not add up to great experiences.
   
9. Build brands people want. Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland have all built brands. In some cases they are Lovemarks. So, how did they do it? Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy are the key. Think Italy and Brazil.
   
10. Invest in sports. Go the All Blacks in France. Bring back the America’s Cup, Dalts.

KR

Signs of a Nation

From Kevin Roberts. Tyler Brûlé's Monocle magazine just gets better and better. Check out number 6 which focuses on nations and their branding. Tyler offers 6 ways to brand a nation and throws in another 10 steps to make your country irresistible.

First look at how Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Italy and Hong Kong measure up against these criteria and then run your own nation through them. It’s a fascinating journey.

Let’s start with Monocle’s 6 ways to brand a nation.

1. Flag
2. Passport
3. Bank Notes
4. Typeface
5. Stamps
6. Road Signs

Simple ideas, but they resonate with me.

Flag: In my house in Grasmere, I have a limited edition distressed rug by Vivienne Westwood that depicts a beat up Union Jack. On my wall, I’ve got an iconic photograph of The Who draped in a giant-size Union Jack while sleeping near the Houses of Parliament. A limited edition of 7 prints of the Stars and Stripes by the photographer Art Kane is also iconic, and if you go to the store next door to one of my favorite hotels, the ZaZa in Dallas, you’ll see a bunch of flags of Texas, the Lone Star State, including one with a bullet hole.

We are haunted in New Zealand by a flag that looks like a pale imitation of our colonial past. One of our super patriots, Lloyd Morrison, has led a campaign to find the contemporary iconic representation of what it means to be a New Zealander. To me the answer is on the All Blacks jersey on the left breast. The Silver Fern.

Passport: The new U.S. passport released two months ago has elaborate illustrations of U.S. history printed on every page. In New Zealand, they don’t even stamp mine when I leave home. In Britain, we had to turn in our special leather-bound, gold-embossed British passports for European community passports - which means absolutely nothing.

Bank Notes: U.S. bank notes are bewildering to any non-American. They are all the same size and color and it’s hard to differentiate between a $1.00 and $100 bill. On the other hand, the Australians have come up trumps in terms of tactile sensuality. Here’s a rough rule of thumb: the smaller the value, the brighter the color.

Typeface: Bob Isherwood, my creative partner at Saatchi & Saatchi, is a fan of Helvetica. It’s a typeface that lets the idea do the talking and leaves lots of opportunity to do something special.

Stamps: For me, stamps have the power of a one-scene movie. They should tell the stories of a nation’s history and future. Stamps are a perfect way to connect past, present and future through visualization of great heroes, great events and great experiences. And, of course, every year or so we need to issue a limited edition of one, just to keep the philatelists on their toes.

Road Signs: Think about these in Paris, or in other romantic environments. What a great opportunity for brilliant art direction and iconography. It’s a major opportunity for most countries and New Zealand is at the top of the list.

For the second part of this post, check in tomorrow. KR

New Zealanders in global headlines September 16

New Zealanders featured in this week's survey of global media including NY Times, Scoop, International Herald Tribune, Guardian, The Age, NZNews UK, Billabong.com and FullNoise.com include:

• David Shearer named UN deputy special representative for Iraq
• NZ benefiting from global milk boom: high demand, short supply
• Artist Charles Olsen second in Saatchi Showdown with La Sundari
• Katherine Prumm wins second world women’s motocross title
• Tauranga’s Design Mobel opens Okooko store in Hong Kong
• Guangzhou’s Back Street 19 centered on Matakana wine, cuisine
• Oakura’s Paige Hareb ranks 4th in world under 18 women’s surfing
• Producer Tim Bevan #75 on Vanity Fair New Establishment List
• Maritime historian Joan Druett’s new book set in islands on the edge
• Academic Robin Gwynn code-cracks 17C London political secrets
• Rosalie Gascoigne's typographic imagery, iconic art, features in Eye
• Drysdale, Grant, Men’s Four gold at World Rowing Champs Munich
• Blues-soul-rock man Sonny Day (Hone Wikaira) dies, Auckland, 64
• Philanthropist, RAF, retailer Sir Roy McKenzie dies, Wellington, 84

Photo of Paige Hareb: NZ Surfing Magazine

New Zealanders in Global Headlines September 6

New Zealanders featuring in this week's survey of global media including The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Guardian, Scotsman, ABC, West Australian, include:

• Reign of seventh Maori monarch King Tuheitia officially begins
• Black Sheep, The Devil Dared Me head UK horror film fest
• Primal riff'n'roll from Auckland’s The Checks generates UK raves
• Auckland's Rocket Lab’s Atea rockets to head spaceward in 2008
• Kirsty Gunn wins Scot Book of Year award for The Boy And The Sea
• Massey U mathematician Robert McLachlan wins Dahlquist Prize
• Industrialist, construction leader James Fletcher dies, Auckland, 92
• Vintner and wine industry pioneer Nick Nobilo dies, Auckland, 94
• Nelson-born artist Charles Olsen finalist in Saatchi Showdown
• Shotputter Valarie Vili wins gold, in Osaka with PB of 20.54 meters
• Conchords, Brunettes, lead “nerd chic” wave: NZ "the new Seattle"
• Shearer David Fagan, jurist Ken Keith among NZOM honorees
• Venice short film screenings for Coffee and Allah and Cargo

For full stories see http://www.nzedge.com/media, a 5,000-story storehouse of international activities by New Zealanders 2000-07.

Picture Phil Walter/Getty Images