In late 2023, local film company Ingot Films (for whom we developed a brand a few years prior) approached Tailwind to help market a new documentary series, Being Turi.

About the Series

Being Turi uncovers the vibrant world of Tāngata Turi (Māori Deaf). It is a powerful exploration of their cultural tapestry, illuminating experiences, struggles, and triumphs.

The series offers an unprecedented opportunity to shed light on the often-overlooked challenges faced by the Turi-Deaf Māori community. With limited access to their own cultural heritage due to communication barriers, this community has strived to bridge the gap between their unique identity and their rightful place within te ao Māori.

Jared Flitcroft for the Being Turi documentary series.

There are around 880,000 individuals affected by hearing loss in New Zealand, but the intersectional experiences of Tāngata Turi are extremely unique and often overlooked.

We were lucky enough to see the project unfold from the very beginning and admire the incredibly hard-working team that brought this idea to life — including Corey Le Vaillant, Jared Flitcroft, Aline Tran, Rodney August, Kade Martin, Aroha Mane, and Te Amohanga Rangihau.

It was an honour to play a small part in this project, and we’re excited to see the show launch on Māori+ today! You can access the full episodes here.

Brand Story

The series’ visual identity hints at the complexity and diversity of the experiences lived by Tāngata Turi, with a palette that captures the community’s electric, vivacious energy.

We consulted turi/deaf director Jared Flitcroft at every stage of the creative process to ensure we were honouring the community’s tino rangatiratanga. The show’s te reo consultant, Aroha Mane from Whakaata Māori, provided us with all te reo Māori content for the show’s identity and promotion.

Identity Development

Swirly, vibrating line work incorporates the following concepts:

Sound waves
Fingerprint patterns hinting at identity
Contour lines found in altitude isopleth maps, evoking tūrangawaewae and mana whenua
Bright colours, as identified as resonating with the turi/deaf community and representing their ability to meet challenges with positivity
Koru symbolising the resilience of Tāngata Turi and the growth of their community as an independent entity
Pikorua signifying the meeting/intertwining of two ‘worlds’ — Tāngata Turi and te ao Māori.

Striking, bold typography evokes a sense of void and may represent the gap between Tāngata Turi and access to their cultural heritage. The typeface also serves to ground the ephemeral line work and brings a strong presence to the overall look and feel of the series.

Portrait photography of members of the cast form a part of Being Turi's digital marketing and highlight the unique individual experiences that have informed this series.

Animated Reel/Story to promote Being Turi on social media. The hero characters for our promotional campaign are cast members Cha’nal and Jared (director).

Tailwind is currently designing a website for Being Turi, which will feature some exciting behind-the-scenes moments, team information and more. Watch this space!

This demo video showcases the Behind-the-Scenes / Ngā Mahi o Muri title card that the Tailwind team animated. This will be used on Being Turi’s upcoming website.