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Behind the Brand
Moana Road
From photographs stretched onto canvas in a garage to a growing collection of Kiwi favourites, discover how Moana Road began and what has shaped the brand along the way.
Some ideas start with a business plan. Moana Road started with photographs, a garage and a feeling that there was room for something different.
Since 2008, that original idea has grown into a wide-ranging collection of products, while its connection to Aotearoa, Kiwiana and everyday Kiwi life has remained at the heart of the brand.
For the first edition of Behind the Brand, we asked Moana Road to take us back to the beginning, share what happens behind the scenes, reveal some unexpected customer favourites and tell us how its collaborations with Māori artists came about.
Paul’s photographs, before the beginnings of Moana Road
1. Moana Road has been part of the New Zealand retail landscape since 2008. What was the original idea behind the brand, and what has remained unchanged since those early days?
PAUL: "The original idea for Moana Road was pretty simple. At the time I was working as a teacher, but I’d always wanted to start my own business. I’d spent years travelling around Aotearoa on surfing and camping trips and had built up a collection of photographs of things and places that felt uniquely NZ: our beautiful scenery and Kiwiana iconography...
I thought there was a gap in the market for cool, affordable artwork that was recognisably Kiwi, so I printed some of my photos, stretched them onto canvas in my garage and sold them at weekend markets around the country...
The idea grew from there into all sorts of different products, but the idea behind Moana Road has stayed pretty much the same: a celebration of the places we love, our quirkyhumour, and the way we live."
2. Moana Road has grown into a huge range of products. What is the biggest challenge in making such a diverse collection still feel like one brand?
“It’s true, we have so many different products so it’s really important to keep everything feeling cohesive by being consistent with the packaging, the branding, and the humour across the whole range.
A big part of this comes down to having the same designer across all our products, which helps tie everything together to give us a recognisable look and feel. We always try and avoid “generic” looking products or packaging by getting creative and putting a Kiwiana stamp on our products, no matter what they are.”
3. Some Moana Road products have become unexpected customer favourites. Which successes have surprised the team the most?
“The kids’ range has been one of the biggest surprises. Our toys and kids’ products have become a huge part of what we do. We’ve been able to use the same “characters” across a lot of the products. We’ve also included birds, animals, and plants native to NZ, because they’re such a huge part of what we love about Aotearoa.
Footwear has been another unexpectedly big hit. Using New Zealand wool for our sNugZ and toesties has been a big part of that - and with the hīkois we’ve managed to hit a price point that makes them really accessible.”
4. What is something customers probably don't realise goes into creating a Moana Road product?
We do an extensive amount of market research before any product hits the shelves. No matter how much one of us loves a product, it has to get through a number of surveys with friends, family, and retailers before it can progress to the design stage. It’s a basic model, but it has served us well.
5. How did the collaborations with Miriama Grace-Smith and River Jayden come about, and why were they the right artists for Moana Road?
The starting point for us is that if we’re creating Māori products, then Māori artists need to be at the centre of that. That’s really important for us.
Miriama Grace-Smith was our first collaboration. She’s part of the local iwi so approaching her felt like a natural place to start. Working with her was so exciting and rewarding so we decided to run a six-week programme with other local iwi artists. The idea was to give everyone a basic rundown of the pathway from creating work through to turning it into a product and getting it ready to sell. Hermann Salzmann took part in that programme, and that relationship has grown into a collaboration as well.
Our collab with River Jayden came about in a different way. One of our favourite retailers down south recommended her to us as a South Island Māori artist. We loved their work, so we got it touch and luckily for us, she was keen.
6. After almost two decades, what feels most exciting about the next chapter of Moana Road?
What’s exciting is that there’s still so much room to grow. We want to keep building Moana Road into an iconic NZ brand - something people know straight away because it gives them a feeling of nostalgia for the places and people they grew up with.
THE QUICK-FIRE
Moana Road in three words: Aotearoa, Design, Fun
A product that deserves more attention: Our Aotearoa Colour & Wipe book!
The most Kiwi product in the range: The Great Kiwi Scavenger Hunt
Best summer essential: Towel hoodies
Best road-trip essential: Road trip bingo
A favourite Moana Road gift: Kiwi Poo
One place in New Zealand everyone should visit: Ōhope
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