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There are several symbols that are very strongly associated with a New Zealand identity: the kiwi, the silver fern, and the koru. Here is a small collection of notable logos that incorporate these symbols.

I've previously mentioned a proposal for changing the New Zealand flag to a design that represents the nation rather than its former colonial power. One of the reasons for the suggested change merits repeating:

The job of a flag is to instantly signal the country of origin in the simplest, quickest, most potent manner. This means utilising a single powerful image rather than several elements and thereby diluting the potency of the symbol.

In my humble opinion the "preferred" design promoted by the campaign does just that:

Proposed new flag (© NZFlag.com Trust)

Next up is one that's been around for a while; the simple outline of a kiwi in the Buy New Zealand Made logo:

Buy kiwi for kiwis (© Buy New Zealand Made Campaign Ltd.)

The national airline carries a New Zealand symbol to distant corners of the globe. It's not hard to spot the Air New Zealand tail-fin at airports around the world, sporting a highly recognisable koru:

A koru with wings (© Air New Zealand)

Anyone who enjoys rugby will be familiar with the Canterbury of New Zealand clothing label:

Activewear that's hard to rip (© Canterbury of New Zealand)

And you can't mention rugby without mentioning the All Blacks, wearers of the silver fern logo on their shirts:

Activewear that's hard to trip (© All Blacks)

The Department of Conservation do a great job to ensure that visitors can enjoy New Zealand's Great Walks and other natural or historic attractions. The DOC logo comprises a framed koru:

As seen on all Great Walks (© DOC)

The Koru Care Christchurch Charitable Trust uses a double-koru image to form a heart; a very effective way to promote a message as well as localisation:

Koru at heart (© Koru Care Christchurch Charitable Trust)

Although not representative of the majority of New Zelanders, the Maori independence movement flag (Tino rangatiratanga) is a common sight at political protests:

Renewal and hope as a political symbol (© Tino rangatiratanga)

The Fitness New Zealand logo is intriguing: do the koru-limbs represent the branches of sporting activity or the many activities of this industry association? The hands look almost like boxing gloves:

Koru-limbed figure (© Fitness New Zealand)

One of my personal favourites is the logo of Immigration New Zealand, where the silver fern is cleverly combined with the image of people with open arms:

There's a queue forming in this fern (© New Zealand Immigration Service)

A silver fern is also the basis of the Qualmark, the logo of New Zealand tourism's official quality agency:

Good quality foliage (© Qualmark New Zealand Ltd.)

Finally, the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign is worth a mention because it doesn't use any of the three symbols above. It instead uses the shape of the country in a fairly effective design:

100% pure (© Tourism New Zealand)

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