Lloyd Morrison worked with Cameron Sanders, from Cato Partners, to come up with a new design for the flag. Many many symbols of New Zealand were considered (the kiwi; the Southern Cross; the koru, for example) before the silver fern was chosen. In our view the silver fern is the strongest and most representative symbol of all New Zealanders. While it has strong representation as a sports symbol it has been widely used in many ways historically. The colours black and white were chosen for their powerful simplicity and their connection with and roots in New Zealand. We believe they are contemporary colours and in the context of world flags would give the New Zealand flag great distinction. Above all, we sought simplicity in the design of the fern, drawing on the efficacy of the simple design of such great flags as those of Switzerland, Japan and Canada.
In our view the end design is a very simple yet dynamic representation of the silver fern, in the strong colours the country identifies with - black and white. We believe it is capable of inspiring.
When designing a new identity it is important to have a strong point of difference from your competitors. Of all the flags on the world stage no one can take ownership of black and white.
It was tempting to retain the Southern Cross but there were a large number of countries using this symbol. With the Union Jack we found more than 30 flags that incorporated it.
What is the one icon that represents New Zealand? Is our core national symbol the blind, flightless and nocturnal Kiwi, a koru, tiki, or is it the silver fern?
The silver fern is the symbol most New Zealanders can identify with. It has represented us as a nation in many forms, from the sporting stage to the NZ Army. It embodies our country's natural beauty and environment.
We stripped the fern back to its most simplified form, so it didn't compete with other predominantly sporting fern icons, and took into consideration the movement of flags. Having an organic, flowing and simplified fern symbol allows the flag to come to life.
Cameron Sanders
March, 2004