Back in 2000 and something, Wellington decided it was going to erect a cool ‘Wellywood’ sign, just like Los Angeles.

But everyone in Wellington found out and got angry. They didn’t want to rip something off. So it got handed over to the public to sort out.

Meanwhile at Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland, I was working with Ray McKay (now CCO at Run Aotearoa) and we decided to have a crack. An extremely crude sketch of an idea referencing they city’s atrocious winds went through an intensive nationwide vote and came out on top.

They stuck to their word and built what is now an iconic New Zealand sign situated in full view on Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula.