In celebration of our most successful Commonwealth Games team ever, the nation needed something that both athletes and wider New Zealand could relate to. We did this by telling the history of the Fern at the Games, explaining its significance to the athletes and its importance in helping them to perform to their peak. The athletes at the first ever Commonwealth Games sewed the Fern onto their uniforms, so we used the thread of this Fern to act as a metaphor to show how the success of our latest team are bound by the endeavours of those that went before them. The shape of the Fern may have changed over time but its importance to New Zealand and the belief behind it hasn’t and by capturing what it means to all New Zealanders, we were able to bring the country together in celebration.

The Silver Fern is the symbol of New Zealand’s values and standards. It is our cultural emblem and it symbolises how we do things and what guides us. It has long been used by our national teams to show unity and to act as an ever-present reminder who they represent when they are competing on the world stage. To earn the right to wear the Fern means to not only compete at the highest level but to do so with uncompromising integrity because when an athlete wears the Fern they are representing not just themselves and their team, but our entire nation. The Fern carries with it the sacrifices made in the name of our nation and when it’s worn, we draw from its history and add to its legacy. The Fern brings our athletes and our country together so whenever we compete, we do so as one, unified team.