Whangarei District Council
Brand refresh connects back to our community

The challenge
If you think of your local Council you often only think of rates bills, rubbish and regulations because that’s what councils do. Whangarei District Council (WDC) was no different but they were also doing a heap of great community work and wanted their brand to reflect that. With different Council departments using different brands, it wasn’t always clear that they were a part of WDC. They were looking to elevate the brand and stable of connected brands to develop closeness and trust and let the community know they’re about much more than just a rates bill.
The solution
The WDC brand strategy tells an authentic story of people and place which was developed from close collaboration with elected members, staff and tangata whenua. The brand device tells the story of the origins of the name Whangarei – the story of twin sisters Reitu and Reipae who travelled on wings of the kārearea (falcon). The brand now aligns all the connected brands using ‘Whangarei District’ as a common element and communicates using visual storytelling from a community perspective.