Independent agency RUN Aotearoa has unveiled a new campaign for Māori Kiwifruit Growers (MKG), marking the brand’s first major push into Dubai in partnership with Zespri and Mr Apple.
The launch was led by Māori Kiwifruit Growers Limited (MKGL), supported by Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, the Māori Queen, who travelled with a Kiingitanga delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), adding prestige and significance to the launch event. This supported the milestone moment for Māori growers on the world stage, alongside UAE dignitaries including His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.
The retail campaign, ‘Legends of Aotearoa New Zealand’, blends Māori storytelling and digital interaction to position New Zealand grown kiwifruit as a premium export. RUN led the campaign from concept to launch, including creative strategy, design, production, POS, packaging and a website.
Through collaborative marketing in partnership with MKG, Zespri and Mr Apple, consumers across Dubai can scan collectable cards featuring Māori legends that come to life with an interactive AR experience. The journey extends online via legendsofnewzealand.com, offering an immersive entry point into Aotearoa New Zealand’s stories and identity, positioned for a global audience.
RUN collaborated with creative technology studio iSPARX to enhance the experience, using cutting-edge browser-based AR technology which eliminates the need for a dedicated app, offering users an intuitive and accessible entry point into the interactive storytelling.
“We wanted to turn a simple supermarket purchase into a moment of discovery,” said RUN co-founder and chief creative officer, Raymond Otene McKay. “By blending storytelling, culture, design and technology, every purchase becomes a window into the beauty and wonder of Aotearoa New Zealand. In markets like the UAE, where provenance and country of origin really matter, we wanted to give customers an experience that’s grounded in design, creativity and cultural authenticity.”
MKG Group chairman, Geoff Rolleston, said, “This partnership places Māori kiwifruit growers on the world stage and sets a benchmark for what collaboration can achieve. Our focus is on building futures, not just marketing fruit, but investing in people, skills and opportunities that will benefit our mokopuna for generations. These are the kinds of relationships that create true intergenerational prosperity.”
The campaign continues the work RUN Aotearoa began with a full rebrand of Māori Kiwifruit Growers in 2023, and creation of a successful campaign launching them into the Hawai‘i market in 2024. The Hawaiian campaign concept drew strongly on the shared cultural heritage of Māori and native Hawaiian people, incorporating a shared navigation symbol, the Amokura bird.
Credits:
Agency: Run Aotearoa
Client: Māori Kiwifruit Growers
AR: iSPARX
