NZ Beer ads are not known for their seriousness. When you are hawking interchangeable fizzy brown liquids to the masses, subtlety is hardly called for: Speight’s southern man intoning ‘Good on ya mate,’ when said mate remembers his priorities, or the blokes sneaking into a Tui factory staffed entirely by gorgeous bikini-clad women. So when the Te Aro craft brewery included Kupe in its ‘Age of Discovery’ series alongside Columbus and Magellan, it was probably taking the piss (so to speak). Unlike the other luminaries, Kupe is more myth than reality. Claims are made for his navigational prowess in discovering New Zealand; the more cynical, such as myself, believe he was merely hopelessly lost. If you think that unfair, consider that some Māori oral ‘histories’ have Kupe starting out his voyage in hot pursuit of a giant octopus.
Regardless, gracing a beer can in such esteemed company has been ruled ‘likely to cause serious offence’ by the Advertising Standards Authority and Te Aro have removed the beer from shelves. The authority received exactly two complaints. One of these was from Karaitiana Taiuru, a ‘Māori intellectual property expert’ (boy, he must be run off his feet). The decision begs the question to whom is Kupe beer likely to cause serious offence. Not the Māori employee Te Aro says suggested the idea.
