We’re Bringing Back An Iconic Mark – Support The New Zealand Team
It takes a truly special piece of design and creativity to earn the status of ‘iconic’. But Wellington designer Colin Simon’s logo for the 1974 Commonwealth Games has more than earned that elite distinction.
Affectionately
referred to as the NZZN mark, the logo transcended both the
design and sporting community, gaining notoriety and
adoration in popular culture since. It is the bold
simplicity that makes it so very good – packing so much
meaning, mana and symbolism into something so
succinct.
The 1974 Commonwealth Games were held at
QEII Park in Christchurch, and the New Zealand design
community were asked to submit logo concepts and ideas –
think back to ‘laser kiwi’, but with a bit more
polish!
Colin Simon submitted his design, bending
a few of the rules along the way, and won the competition
with a resounding yes. Playing around with the numbers 7 and
4, Simon landed on a bold graphic icon that incorporated the
year of the Games, but also the acronym ‘NZ’. The
symmetrical design and use of colours mimic the Union Jack
of our national flag, and then, to top it all off, the
negative space creates an ‘X’ – representative of the
10thCommonwealth Games.
Competition rules
specified the logo to use a palette of black, with a single
accent colour. However, Simon believed his design worked
much harder in the colours of our flag, and submitted his
design that way. Hoping to attract the attention of the
committee, he submitted on the last possible day – with a
back-up colour palette to ensure he wasn’t immediately
disqualified.
The result? The committee agreed
with his suggestion, altered the colour palette for the
whole Games, and the rest is history.
The NZZN
mark is still loved by kiwis and New Zealand Team members
alike. It’s timeless, iconic and has been, and always will
be, worn with real pride. We’re thrilled to be
re-releasing the design as part of our 2022 merchandise
range, in the build-up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth
Games.
Exclusively available via
TheNZTeamShop.com, proceeds from sales go directly to
supporting the New Zealand Team as they represent us all on
the world stage.
Don’t miss out on your chance
to wear this iconic piece of sporting history and proudly
support our
Team.