Kiwiana are certain items and icons from New Zealand's heritage, especially from around the middle of the 20th century, that are seen as representing iconic New Zealand elements. These "quirky things that contribute to a sense of nationhood"[1] include both genuine cultural icons and kitsch.
Origins and history
The silver fern flag has become an iconic, yet unofficial symbol of New Zealand.[2]
Items of Kiwiana are generally either unique or particularly common to New Zealand, particularly from the early and mid-twentieth century. Although the term is sometimes used to describe any and all New Zealand icons, it is more commonly used to describe pop culture items such as toys or branded foods. A few more serious national icons have become Kiwiana through heavy use in advertising and the souvenir industry. These include the kiwi and the hei-tiki. Kiwiana is generally seen as a form of kitsch.
A number of companies with products deemed to be 'Kiwiana' have enthusiastically cashed in on this. For example, an advertising campaign has claimed that "you'll never be a Kiwi 'til you love your Wattie's sauce", even though the company is now American-owned. In the 1990s, a Sanitarium campaign claimed that "Kiwi kids are Weet-Bix kids". The advertisement was a dubbed version of an Australian advertisement that claimed that 'Aussie kids are Weet-bix kids' and the landscape in the background of the advertisement is recognisably Australian. Other companies have attempted to create their own Kiwiana. For example, McDonald's New Zealand has an off and on 'Kiwiburger' sold within their stores, which was an attempt to duplicate the traditional New Zealand style of burger with a slice of beetroot and a fried egg, and its advertisement was essentially a sung list of Kiwiana items. A series of L&P commercials, featuring Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords, are based around Kiwiana-themed items, and were very popular with New Zealanders. A number of products widely regarded as Kiwiana, such as Wattie's tomato sauce, Marmite, and L&P, are now made by non-New Zealand companies. In some cases, this is because the original New Zealand company has been purchased by an overseas corporation, in others the product has always been made by an international firm.
In recent decades, Kiwiana has become a subject in itself, and several celebratory books have been published. A range of products using Kiwiana motifs has also been produced, including Christmas tree decorations, cards, T-shirts, garden ornaments and jewellery. There are Kiwiana sections in many New Zealand museums, and some are dedicated to showing Kiwiana only. In 1994, New Zealand Post released a set of stamps depicting kiwiana items including a pavlova, fish and chips, rugby boots and ball, and a black singlet and gumboots.[3]
Well-known examples
A children's ride in the shape of Buzzy BeeFoxton Fizz
The Wonky Donkey — a popular children's book that was also adapted into a song by Craig Smith.
Toyota "bugger" advert — in which the Toyota Hilux's unexpected power causes several unintended consequences, each capped with the interjection "bugger" as a punchline.[5][6]
Griffin's Foods — manufacturer of biscuits, snacks and confectionary food.
The Warehouse Group — the largest retail group in New Zealand that includes The Warehouse.
Fashion
Canterbury — sports clothing company that mainly focuses on rugby, the country's national sport.
Gumboots — calf-length rubber boots, usually in black.[1]
Kozmik — brand of clothing popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s characterised by its bright colours.
Jandals — beach footwear with a bit of sole but very little else. Also known as flip-flops (UK and USA) and thongs (Australia).
Red Bands — a particular brand of gumboots made by Skellerup.
Swanndri — a 100% waterproof woollen overcoat. Popular amongst farmers due to it being 'warm in winter, cool in summer'. Typically made in a tartan or patch work pattern. Often blue and black, or red and black in colour. Often worn in conjunction with Gumboots and/or Stubbies. Also known as a "lammie" in some parts of the South Island, notably the West Coast Region.
Food and drink
Afghan biscuit — a chocolate biscuit with a soft biscuit base (containing cornflakes, Weet-Bix or rolled oats for texture), chocolate icing, and a walnut on top.
Anzac biscuit — a biscuit popular in Australia and New Zealand, made of rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda and boiling water, popularised during World War 1.
Black Knight — popular brand of black liquorice.
Buzz Bars — a confection of marshmallow topped with caramel and chocolate-covered.
Chesdale — brand of cheese chiefly known for its advertising characters Ches and Dale.
Chilly bin — an insulated box used to keep food and drink cool. Also known as a cooler, portable ice chest, icebox, cool box (UK and USA) and esky (Australia).
Chocolate fish — a confection of marshmallow covered in chocolate, in the shape of a fish.
Cookie Time cookies — a large chocolate chip cookie often sold individually and frequently heated up before being consumed.
Foxton Fizz — retro brand of soft drink from Foxton.[7] Dates back to 1918.[8] Was originally distributed in Foxton and as far south as Ōtaki, and north to Sanson. In 2010 it began enjoying a resurgence in popular cafes and some bars.
Georgie Pie — fast food chain specialising in meat pies.
Hāngī — method of cooking using heated rocks buried underground in a pit oven.
Hokey pokey ice-cream — vanilla ice cream with added small round lumps of honeycomb toffee.
Jaffas — a small round lolly consisting of a solid, orange flavoured chocolate centre with a hard covering of red coloured confectionery.
Kiwiburger — a hamburger sold at McDonald's restaurants in New Zealand consisting of a four-ounce (113 g) beef patty, griddle egg, beetroot, tomato, lettuce, cheese, onions, mustard and ketchup on a toasted bun.
Kiwifruit — fruit from a vine originating in China but selectively bred by New Zealand horticulturalists to obtain egg-sized fruit with green or gold flesh. In New Zealand it was originally called "Chinese gooseberry".
Lemon & Paeroa — also known as L&P, a popular soft drink whose slogan is "World Famous in New Zealand since ages ago".
Lion Red — a lager-style beer that is the most popular beer in New Zealand.
Lolly cake — cake that features lollies as a key ingredient.
The Longest Drink In Town — since 1968, this iconic blue and red giraffe image has appeared on the side of paper cups used by dairies and icecream parlours for milkshakes.
Mainland — brand of cheese sold throughout Australasia and parts of the Americas.[9]
Marmite — a New Zealand-made dark and salty spread made from yeast extract, similar to the original Marmite from the UK.
Moro — chocolate bar that is caramel and nougat layered.
All Blacks — national Rugby Union team. Other sports teams have nicknames based on the All Black name, such as the Tall Blacks (national basketball team).
The black singlet — a distinctive dark top worn by New Zealand athletes in international competition.
Cardigan Bay — a famous racehorse from New Zealand, who was the first trotter to win a million US dollars.
Phar Lap — a horse from New Zealand, who won many prestigious races in Australia and North America.
Number 8 wire — a gauge of wire often used inventively and practically for applications other than for fencing.[11] It is also used as a term that epitomises the "kiwibloke" as someone who can turn their hand to anything.[12]
Southern man — male farmer, hunter or bushman hailing from the deep rural south.
World famous in New Zealand — a self-deprecating phrase first used in advertisements for Lemon and Paeroa drink, meaning things that are good and which would be well-known internationally if they were from a larger country.
^Clayworth, Peter. "Controversial 'bugger ad', 1999". Censorship - Censorship in the 2010s. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
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