Taking Green Party merchandise beyond the logo

Of the many volunteer roles I had with the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand over the years, from magazine design to brand oversight, revitalising their ‘merch’ offering was perhaps the most visible and popular mahi.

Although some people love just wearing a T shirt with a big logo, we’d heard that many were keen to be more than ‘walking billboards’ – plus the fundraising team needed something fresh to pique the interest of supporters who already had a wardrobe full of logo tees from previous years.

I led a collaboration with Waikato artists Kemi & Niko to develop a modular, graphic illustration system. A series of icons that would work together or singly, to bring an upbeat, artistic vibe but also adaptable for different shaped items and refreshed for seasonal and campaign cycles.

The artwork was used across coffee cups, hats, T shirts, water bottles hoodies, wrapping paper, shopping bags, and tote bags, and most uniquely, underwear – with many items selling out in just hours and sometimes gathering media attention.

The new range was also the catalyst to rejuvenate the Shopify site and even add a decorative element to humble items like packing slips. The stainless steel water bottle is perpetually popular and still sold on the Greens’ site today.