International ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi has partnered up with the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in a new branding campaign.

The old Govett-Brewster banner

The gallery, a contemporary art museum located in New Plymouth that first opened in the 70’s, has a strong reputation nationally and internationally for its vision and commitment to contemporary art of the Pacific Rim.

The rebrand utilises New Plymouth’s Wind Wand, a 48-meter kinetic art sculpture designed by Len Lye. Constructed out of fibreglass and carbon fibre, a red sphere tops the wand containing 1,296 light-emitting diodes.

An iconic piece of art for the local community, the wand bends up to 20 meters in the wind and created shapes and patterns that became the source of inspiration for the rebrand.

The sculpture had its movements photographed against the night sky, and the patterns captured by the camera were then turned into graphic marks that makeup the images for the rebrand.

Derek Lockwood, the Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide director of design, says the marks represent the energy and vibrancy of the New Plymouth district and its people.

“We set out to create an integrated brand solution that positions the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery as the home of kinetic art, and, as such, a destination of worldwide significance,” Lockwood says.

The partnership came about due to Saatchi & Saatchi’s ability to grow Govett-Brewster’s brand beyond New Zealand, says gallery director Simon Rees.

“Saatchi & Saatchi’s global reach, expertise, relationships and media access will help grow the Govett-Brewster’s reputation and broaden audience awareness about what we do,” Rees says.

It’s reach that’s also waded into the current debate on the Hundertwasser project in Whangarei, with the executive chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, ex-pat Kiwi Kevin Roberts, who is recognised as a world-expert on branding, saying it will give Northland “a way of distinguishing itself on the world stage”.

The new Len Lye Centre will be the country’s first example of ‘destination architecture’ linked to contemporary art, and will be the repository of the works, archive and spirit of Len Lye. It will be New Zealand’s first art museum dedicated to a single artist.

The centre opens 25 July, with the opening weekend programme available online through the Govett-Brewster website from 1 July.