THE FLIGHT OF THE UNDERDOGS.
June 17, 2010

As part of the "FLIGHT OF THE UNDERDOGS" installation in store, Nike Sportswear Pacific commissioned us the honour of designing a graphic to represent our national football team, the All Whites, in a similar fashion to their True Colours collections with James Jarvis, Nunca, Delta, So Me, Mr. Cartoon, and Kronk.

After a bit of thought, we wanted to design a graphic to symbolize not just the All Whites, but also our national spirit. I'm lucky enough to travel a fair bit, but I'm no stranger to "country-ism", where someone gives you that cock-eyed-bemused look when you tell them where you're from. I'm not blind to it - I know most people overseas think it's weird that any form of contemporary culture exists in New Zealand. The thing is, as kiwis, we're used to that. We're used to people writing us off but we quietly work away in the background, and when the moment is right we capture the spotlight, leaving people scratching their heads.

This spirit is also evident in our national sporting teams. The underdog philosophy is what we thrive on, and despite our odds as a small Pacific nation we're always trying to punch above our weight against countries much larger than ours, with far more resources. Granted, we are known for our achievements in rugby, cricket, sailing, rowing, cycling, triathlons, and even a little mountain climbing but to be truthfully honest, our football team... let's just say they haven't been our biggest claim to fame.

Yet, they defied all the odds and qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa for the first time in 28 years, despite all predictions from commentators and sports analysts, catching even their sponsors off guard. This team of part-time players consisting of school teachers, engineers, and average working joe blows are now facing the biggest fight of their lives, facing off FA Cup & UEFA superstars and professional players, but still have the heart to give it their all no matter what the odds.

The most endearing part as a nation is that when the odds are stacked against us, the entire country comes together as one to support "our" lads.

When the boys take to the pitch, they know that they have the weight of the entire nation behind them, 4 million strong.

We took inspiration from vintage military (Air Force) icons and football club shields to reference the fighting spirit of the underdogs and the nation - battling until the very end.

The finished graphic - "FLIGHT OF THE UNDERDOGS."

Nike Sportswear produced a special run of #180 box sets, which included laser engraved numbered dog tags of the design as a special, limited All Whites supporter's item.

We unveiled the design along with this gallery installation in tribute to the All Whites on the night of their first game in South Africa against Slovakia, and distributed the dog tags to the 100+ guests we had at the night, the dedicated fans and supporters of the All Whites.

Much thanks to Chris Lewis and Ivy for working alongside me on the design, and a round of thanks to Dezzie & Nezzie @ Nike Sportswear Pacific, Chris Jones @ Switch, and everybody that gave us this unique opportunity and honour of designing something for our nation.

Most of all, thank you Winston Reid, for keeping the hopes of a nation alive. In true underdog fashion.

Until the very end!