January 10, 2020
Tomato sauce campaign sticks in craw
Watties is off the menu at the restaurant run by an Ōtautahi Māori language advocate.
Fush owner Anton Matthews says he has written to the foreign-owned company to complain about its ad campaign that misspells Māori words to include food that can be paired with tomato sauce.
The company has pulled most of the offending billboards, but is sticking with one for Piehia.
Mr Matthews says while English names in the campaign like Arthurs Pass and Raglan can handle the indignity, for Māori names are being mispronounced every day – and it’s no joke.
“As Māori speakers we are used to hearing our place names being butchered. When a big brand like Watties comes out with a marketing campaign that deliberately encourages the New Zealand public to continue mispronouncing place names such as Wanaka, such as Whitianga, that is disappointing,” he says.
Copyright © 2020, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com