Ireland-based retailers of Kia-Ora beverages and one of the most suspicious adverts (Images: Provided)
Although the offending advertisements may have been sent to history’s dustbin (i.e., YouTube), the almost a century-old cordial is still in use and continues to be incorrect on numerous levels.
Isn’t the word kia ora lovely? It makes me think of Suzy Cato, my hometown, and the cheery flight attendants from Air New Zealand. I was a little taken aback to find it written on a bottle of colorful goo in a little town store in rural Ireland because it is informal but sounds more nicer than “g’day mate” and is a word you’re only likely to hear 4.000 kilometers south of the equator.
As it turns out, kia ora is a brand of cordial (or squash, as it’s known here) owned by a small company you may have heard of called Coca-Cola, not just a Mori greeting and declaration of friendship. There are two flavors available: blackcurrant and orange. I had to take a bottle of the orange flavor home so I could try it. Without truly tasting like any particular fruit, it was overly sweet and vaguely like to fruit. Alarmingly, it included something called glycerol esters of wood rosins.
I was curious as to why Coca-Cola was marketing juice with New Zealand holiday greetings. But first, some background.
Kia-Ora, a lemon cordial that was established in 1903 by a man by the name of Arthur Gasquoine. He seemed to be motivated by the literal meaning of the phrase, “kia orato,” which means “wish someone good health and wellness,” and, in keeping with the customs of white people, had no qualms about appropriating parts of Mori culture and using them for his personal gain.
The Dixon family of Victoria purchased the Kia-Ora brand from Australian Arthur G not long after it was founded, but Kia-Ora didn’t really take off until it was introduced in the UK. Starting off as a lemon squash, Kia-Ora grew to encompass a variety of drink flavors before diversifying in the 1940s to include canned soup, spaghetti, and baked beans. Unfortunately, Anne Dixon’s vile spaghetti and baked bean recipes were the unquestionable high point of the latter action. By the 1960s, Campbell’s had acquired Kia-Australian Ora’s division, and the company’s spaghetti nest Easter eggs, which were suitable for Lent, tragically disappeared.
But in the meantime, Kia-reputation Ora’s in the UK was growing. White children smiling at the beach and tennis club secretaries praising the “healthful goodness of the drink” were depicted on posters. When the subjects of the posters were black or brown, the corporation also seized the chance to be extremely prejudiced.
Then there were the television commercials produced between the early and late 1980s that continued to run well into the 1990s, despite the fact that everyone should have known better at the time. A black boy wearing a straw hat and leading a group of crows that represented such blatant stereotypes appeared to be lifted directly from Disney’s racist farce Dumbo in the advertisements.
Kia-karma Ora’s seems to have caught up with her. With the exception of the two sugar-free Kia-Ora cordialsorange and blackcurrantCoca-Cola no longer appears to promote on TV, online, or anywhere else. An English Labour MP recently faced repercussions for sharing one of the infamously terrible vintage television commercials in a WhatsApp group. The majority of people appear to recall Kia-Ora as “that juice with the messed up advertisements,” with the exception of a few nostalgic boomers in the hidden corners of internet message boards.
In 1903, the same year a white man was permitted to use the phrase to promote a beverage, mori children were forcibly forbidden from saying kia ora (and any other te reo) in classrooms across the country.
Black stereotypes played a significant role in Kia-advertising Ora’s history, all because the phrase appeared faintly strange to a London-based executive.
Everyone who grew up in Ireland or England in the 1980s believes that Don Brash would pronounce kia ora differently if he weren’t so intimidated by the Mori language.
Unbelievably, Kia-Ora, a brand that is barely hanging on, continues to use a cartoon crow image on its labels.
In light of the aforementioned, I questioned whether Coke had considered renaming Kia-Ora. They stated the following:
“In a 1998 agreement, The Coca-Cola Company bought the Cadbury Schweppes soft drink brands. The brand portfolio included the Kia-Ora name. Since then, there has been little money spent on brand marketing. Currently, there are no plans to change the beverage or the branding in any way.
In other words, Kia-Ora won’t change because a $270 billion firm can’t be bothered.
Although I have no expertise in marketing, I was able to come up with several ideas rather quickly.
- The second- or third-most popular concentrated low-calorie soft drink with orange flavor in Ireland
- I hope you don’t mind that this contains something called glycerol esters of wood rosins.
- Same Juice, but no longer racist
Given how imaginative New Zealanders are, perhaps we might have a nationwide vote to select a new moniker, ala Boaty McBoatface? Coca-Cola employees appear to be running low on resources right now, so they could use all the assistance they can get.
In This Article...
Who created Kia-Ora?
Kia-Ora is a brand of concentrated fruit soft drink produced by Atlantic Industries (a division of The Coca-Cola Company), with permission from Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd. to manufacture in Ireland and the UK till 2019.
Where is the origin of Kia-Ora?
Kia ora can be used to greet someone, show appreciation, offer love, and establish a connection.
The native Mori language is the source of the friendly and welcoming greeting known as “kia ora,” which is used often throughout New Zealand.
What does kia ora mean?
Kia ora, in its most basic form, says greeting. But because it makes a reference to life and health, “kia ora” is more than just a simple greeting.
More than merely a passing greeting, these two words have deeper meanings. The word “ora” literally means “to live” or “to be alive.” By adding “kia,” it is transformed from a noun to a verb, becoming “living” instead of “alive”. As a result, when you say “kia ora” to someone, you are wishing them life itself.
When should you say kia ora?
In New Zealand, the informal greeting kia ora is used. Everyone uses it in everyday discourse, from the prime minister to the neighborhood shopkeeper.
Use kia ora as a greeting or farewell, to express gratitude, to express support, or to convey a warm “cheers.” Kia ora can be used to start an email or answer the phone.
It’s crucial to express gratitude to others. By saying “Kia Ora,” we acknowledge not only them but also everything about them, including who and from where they are.
What exactly is a Kia-Ora bird?
Usually used as a Maori greeting, kia ora meaning “be well and healthy.” If you have Kia Ora Kiwi near by, she will keep you feeling good about yourself. She is sporting a talisman called a hei-tiki, which is customarily worn by Maori women.
What is the debate over Kia Ora?
The Kia Ora Incident happened in 1984, a year in which New Zealanders hardly ever used Mori words or phrases. After the post office received a complaint, Naida Glavish, an Auckland telephone operator, was told to cease introducing callers with “kia ora.” She was demoted as a result of her refusal, and the incident generated considerable media attention. Later, she received her original position restored. [1] Rob Talbot, the postmaster general, persuaded Robert Muldoon, the prime minister, to lift the ban on kia ora. [2]
This occasion is significant in the effort to revive Te Reo Maori.
[Reference needed] When “kia ora” usage was prohibited among KiwiYo Whangarei staff in 2014, a similar incident occurred. [3] [1]
What should you say in answer to “kia ora”?
Ngahiwi Apanui, the company’s chief executive, explains that “it’s actually more of a ‘gidday’; I wouldn’t say it to elders or if I was meeting someone for the first time.”
The expression can be used to end an email, wish someone well, or express gratitude.
Apanui explains, “It also signifies to wish someone life and health.” Kia is a future tense particle that, technically speaking, means something will happen. Together, ora and kia mean life.
We say “kia ora r” when someone corrects us or helps us, according to Apanui. R can refer to the sun or day, but in this case, it denotes a separation from the speaker, much like the phrase “by that.”
Apanui thinks that the expression is quite adaptable. It’s being thrown around everywhere, and he thinks that’s fantastic.
“Even if kia ora is the only term people use to communicate in te reo Mori, that is still preferable to saying nothing. However, it’s far better if everyone understands what that brief passage implies.”