
Created by: https://www.evaluate.co.nz/our-team/donna-leckie
‘Pacifica STEAM poster Science’ is part of a campaign of posters and videos for the Ministry of Education that are targeted at Pacifka students. The series has a poster for each STEAM subject, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. The posters act to attract students to STEAM subjects, by reinforcing their ancestorial links to those topics.
The poster includes a clear heading at the top of the page, a figure in the centre of the page, a tag line beneath the figure, and a logo and QR code for more information at the bottom of the page. The poster is backed by a bright warm orange with a gradient, and on the right-hand side of the image, there is a slightly transparent swirling pattern.
The central figure is a bright young girl of Pacific heritage. She is gazing into the distance and looks happy and proud. Imposed onto her t-shirt, is a 2-dimensional scene of pacifika women working on the land, including a central woman who is holding an open coconut. The scene from the girl’s t-shirt expands beyond the fabric, surrounding her shoulders are 3-dimensional trees and clouds. The girl is holding a 2-dimensional open coconut, that is pouring in on the space below her. The way the images collide makes me feel as if the girl is wearing her history, it is part of her and she is proud.
The campaign headings all read “We were always (insert STEAM topic). I think this is a clever and uplifting campaign. I think this is an example of reflective design, it understands its target audience and is speaking directly to them by identifying how historic family knowledge can translate into the specialist fields of STEAM – hopefully encouraging more Pacifika students to bring their important perspectives into these fields.

Created by the advertising agency Colenso BBDO.
https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/rats-ate-poster
This poster is part of a series of 9, created by Auckland based advertising agency Colenso BBDO for New Zealand based conservation organisation Forest and Bird. The campaign was created to raise awareness of the ambitious goal of a predator-free New Zealand by 2050, and to urge the public to help through donations and volunteering.
Each poster shows a worn-out core flute poster depicting a native bird. The core flute poster is photographed surrounded by native bush. Small text on the lower left-hand corner reads “This baited poster was eaten by predators in the New Zealand bush’. Here, 72,000 native birds, chicks and eggs are killed every day. Protect them from rats, stoats, and possums by donating at forrestandbird.org.nz/protect”.
Forest & Birds logo is discretely included in the poster, appearing on the core flute near the nibbled edge. Because of the subtle logo placement, the poster doesn’t automatically read as an advertisement. It looks more like a documentary-style image in a magazine spread.
Once the short text has been read, the worn-out core flute poster transforms from aged or worn-out to attacked. I find this to be clever and enjoy the shift in sensibilities. For me it’s an example of pathos, it plays on a sense of empathy and urgency to help and protect. It also talks about looking closer, to being more aware of things happening right in front of you.
Appendix
Fig. 1 Pacifica STEAM poster Science, Ministry of Education.
Created by Donna Leckie.
https://pasifika.tki.org.nz/Resources/Pacific-STEAM
Accessed 21 May 2022
Fig. 2 Toutouwai (native robin) poster, Forest and Bird, 2019
Created by the advertising agency Colenso BBDO.
https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/rats-ate-poster
Accessed 21 May 2022
Bibliography
Detisch, A. (2020, December). Ethos, Pathos & Logos: Definition and Examples of Persuasive Advertising Techniques (2022). Retrieved from Studio Binder: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ethos-pathos-logos/