In Aotearoa, generations of people see drinking alcohol as a normal part of life. However, alcohol can have long-term harmful effects on our health and wellbeing, and that of our whānau (family) and our children.
Crucially, we know that FASD is entirely preventable. Alongside Te Whatu Ora and in collaboration with our rōpū of co-designers, Te Kapa Manawa, we created a campaign that centres five generations of wāhine to educate our audience around alcohol use during pregnancy. It supports positive action by reminding us that the future lies within.
In our discovery phase, we wanted to find out more about the behaviours, beliefs and attitudes toward alcohol use before and during pregnancy in Aotearoa. We began with kōrero with those with lived experience of FASD, in addition to conversations with those working in social services, health, advocacy, policy and Indigenous innovation. In order for our work to be rooted in the concerns of our audience, it needed to be guided by that audience. In partnership with Te Whatu Ora, we established Te Kapa Manawa – a group of next-generation parents from across Aotearoa. This rōpū are a unifying collective that helped us connect to the voices, experiences and needs of whānau as we developed the campaign.
While acting as a guiding compass for our messaging, Te Kapa Manawa gathered the perspectives from around 100 hapori and community members. We heard stories of alcohol harm, misinformation, and how much drinking culture has firmly rooted its place into the varied ways we connect.
During the co-design process we were guided by the whakataukī: Poipoia te kakano, kia puawai – nurture the seed and it will bloom. When connections to our identity, whānau, future aspirations and innate strengths are nurtured, we make stronger decisions.
From these insights, our strategy emerged. We wanted to underline the strength of whānau connections through generations – especially the strength of our māmā – and highlight the possibilities of the future.
From our guiding whakataukī, to all the discoveries we made alongside Te Kapa Manawa, a key idea emerged that the future already lies within all of us. Everything we do while pregnant has an effect through the generations, so we must nurture the future within.
The Nurture the Future Within campaign takes us on an intimate and impactful journey through five generations of women. Together, they tell the story of how a mother carries the seed of her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond.
The campaign creative features a rich, warm aesthetic inspired by the colours of te Taiao. Double exposure is utilised in the visual approach to the OOH images featuring each of the five authentic wāhine, underscoring the central theme of ‘the future within’.
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