Trust Waikato

KingSt Advertising
Design Lead, Branding

A symbol of courage and strength, the toki was traditionally used as a tool to cut down trees and carve detailing into waka and meeting houses. These blades were previously only wielded by powerful chiefs with the most mana, but today are worn to represent strength and resilience. The greenstone is tethered around the neck with woven cord. It is this woven pattern that is displayed in the Trust Waikato branding - the element that connects the wearer with the toki carving. Within this mark we can see a few other representations; five strands per side depict two hands with their fingers interlaced in unity and opening towards the skies in acceptance, ‘Te Puna o Waikato’ - the spring of the Waikato is portrayed in the upward, wave-like movement of the strands, with the innermost points coliding as they would in a spring sprung from the earth. Within the form, the internal structure of both a ‘T’ for ‘Trust’ and ‘W’ for ‘Waikato’ can also be seen, which further anchors the iconography to the word mark.

A vibrant orange, paired with a deep blue have been used to construct the Trust Waikato brand, with the orange coming from the clay of the earth and the blue coming from the river that runs through the Waikato.