download the portfolio as a PDF - Hunter Publishing

portfolio
hunter publishing
Company Histories General Non-fiction Education

Briscoes
150 Years in New Zealand
The Brief
To produce a 150 year history of the company’s presence
and influence in New Zealand. To convey the depth and
breadth of Briscoes activites in New Zealand; demonstrate
the company’s significant place in the growth of the New
Zealand economy, and highlight the reinvention of the
company over the past twenty years.
To convey the information in an entertaining and colourful
way with broad appeal to consumers.
304 pages : Hard cover : Full colour throughout : Available
to public : Instore promotion
Briscoes 150 Years 131

By 1880, tea was the thirdlargest
imported commodity
in New Zealand (behind
drapery goods and sugar),
with the country spending
more on the beverage
annually than it did on
hardware and ironmongery.
Tea, Anyone?
Tea is not the sort of product usually associated with
a hardware company, but in the nineteenth century
Briscoes was New Zealand’s largest importer of tea.
It was a lucrative commodity: for New Zealanders,
where the greatest proportion of the European
population was of British extraction, the afternoon
‘cuppa’ was a staple beverage—everyone had one
daily, and usually several.
By 1880, tea was the third-largest imported
commodity in New Zealand (behind drapery goods
and sugar), with the country spending more on
the beverage annually than it did on hardware and
ironmongery. Even by 1900, New Zealand had the
highest tea consumption per head of population
in the world—nine pounds of tea for every man,
woman, and child. As an importer with connections
in the West Indies, Briscoes leveraged its network not
only to supply tea to thirsty New Zealanders, but also
to produce its own house blends: Gold and Silver
Crest, the Avondale Blend of pure Ceylon tea, and
Surisanda.
By 1898, the Briscoes Crest Blend was the most
popular brand of tea on sale in the New Zealand
market. In part, Briscoes attributed their success in
the tea market to a strategic acquisition. An English
tea expert, trained in Mincing Lane, London (the
epicentre of tea and spice traders for the world trade
in tea as a commodity), had been sent to Dunedin to
run the New Zealand tea department and ensure that
only the best blends were sold. It was a combination
of ‘purity, strength, and economy’, said Briscoes, that
made its tea business so good—before eventually
exiting the trade in 1902, selling its tea department to
a firm in Christchurch.

Wunderlich
In the first two decades of the twentieth century,
two products set the commercial direction of
the firm for the next half-century and delivered
Briscoes a financial windfall: Wunderlich ceiling
tiles and Marseilles roofing tiles.
Wunderlich pressed-metal ceiling
tiles were the invention of two
German brothers: Alfred and Ernest
Wunderlich. The brothers, who had
immigrated to Australia in the mid-
1880s, first imported German stamped-metal
ceilings for distribution to the Sydney building industry. In 1888, Ernest and
Alfred took out their own patent for an improved tile, and with local Sydney
ceiling manufacturer, W.H. Rocke & Co., commenced manufacture. In 1900,
the Wunderlichs were joined by brother Otto. Although a doctor by training,
Otto set about improving administration, production, and selling techniques
and soon Wunderlich had branches in every Australian state.
The popularity of the ceiling tile was easy to understand. Traditional plaster
ceilings were labour intensive to erect, ornate decoration was expensive,
cornices and mouldings were apt to crack, and the ceiling had to be painted
when finished. The Wunderlich ceiling tile was produced in ornate classical and
Victorian-style designs; or, architects could offer their own design specifications
which would be made to suit. The metal tiles were more durable than plaster
and came pre-painted. Complementing the ceiling tiles were steel wall linings,
cornices, and dadoes: all of which were manufactured in the thousands, and
all pre-painted.
Previous page: Ceiling roses from the 1895 Wunderlich catalogue.
Right: A promotional bulldog clip advertising the new wonder products.
Far right: Wunderlich ceiling tiles, supplied by Briscoes, adorn the ornate vestibule of
Dunedin Railway Station.
1910

138
Briscoes 150 Years in New Zealand
Everything You Could
Possibly Want
By the 1930s, Briscoes stores
around the country were a Mecca
for everything you could possibly
want for everyday life in the
Dominion: household furnishings,
garden tools, Pyrex dishes, sporting
goods, lawn mowers, guns, radios,
watches, crystal vases, tea sets,
‘Gumlypta’ disinfectant, even
chimney pots.
In part, the comprehensive range on
offer was because Briscoes, as a major
wholesaler, serviced a diverse clientele
of New Zealand shopkeepers and
contractors. Its town and country
sales reps called on plumbers, builders,
engineers, small hardware stores,
government departments, sporting clubs,
even fruiterers.
There remained, however, a keen difference
between Briscoes in Australia and Briscoes
in New Zealand: the New Zealand stores
were retailers as well as wholesalers. The
imposing Wellington store on Jervois
Quay, for example, continually booked
advertising space in Wellington’s
Evening Post proclaiming its
current promotions and special
offers.
As a result, the goods shown here,
all promoted by Briscoes in the
1930s, offer a unique snapshot of
the eclectic tastes of New Zealanders.
Where else could you find people
equally at ease sipping tea from Royal
Doulton china cups, at the same
time as they were experimenting in
the back shed with their new Lane’s
Pattern possum trap?
Equally, the 1930s saw the early
stages of the home appliance boom, and
refrigerators, washing machines, radios, and
vacuum cleaners all made an appearance.
The Briscoes Wellington branch, offering
customers a late-night Friday, offered
curious Wellingtonians plenty to choose
from—for him, and for her.
As a result, the goods shown here,
all promoted by Briscoes in the
1930s, offer a unique snapshot of
the eclectic tastes of New Zealanders.

1990
In a year, Tammy
has shot as many
as 30-plus
commercials: two
a day is common.
Groups, too,
invite her to speak
about life as the
Briscoes Lady.
baker that I’d bought from Briscoes years before,’ she says. ‘I was thrilled to
be asked to do two commercials for them.’
The first commercial was filmed poolside, in a friend’s house in Christchurch:
promoting the ‘End of Summer’ clearance: beach towels, outdoor furniture,
BBQs, and Rover mowers. Wells was a natural, and a two-ad deal soon turned
into a year’s contract.
In 1990, Tammy was pregnant with first son, James. ‘I was terrified to
tell them,’ she recalls. ‘We kept on filming; and in the end they just took the
camera higher and higher. In those days, Briscoes used to sell Tommee Tippee
products. I’d always hoped they’d use my pregnancy to push nurseryware
and viewers could watch the Briscoes Lady get bigger and bigger on screen—it
didn’t take off.’
In a year, Tammy has shot as many as 30-plus commercials: two a day is
common. Groups, too, invite her to speak about life as the Briscoes Lady.
Tammy used to do this often: she loves people, and photos of friends and
family adventures adorn the house. ‘I’ve met some fantastic people,’ she says.
‘And folk are always unpredictable. I remember one group I spoke to, this lady
came up to me afterwards. She smiled at me and said: “You make me sick!”
Briscoes 150 Years 233
I was taken aback. “You’re always so happy and smiley,” ’ she continued.
“When you come on that television, I could just throw a brick at it.” As she
turned, she said with a gleam in her eye: “A polystyrene brick, of course!”’
Not all the commercials have been plain sailing. One Easter, the Briscoes
creative director had the bright idea of using rabbits. ‘Kids and animals can
always be a bit tricky on television,’ laughs Tammy. Sitting cross-legged on
the studio floor to present the commercial, she was surrounded by a dozen
fluffy white rabbits. ‘I held the two largest rabbits—which covered my dress
in fur—while the little ones, who weren’t at all interested in television, hopped
all over the set, wee-ing and poo-ing everywhere. It was hilarious, but it took
three hours to do the shoot. When I finally stood up, I buckled over. All that
rabbit holding—my legs had gone to sleep.’
Wells’ most painful commercial occurred one winter. ‘Briscoes wanted me in
a snowstorm,’ she says. ‘Trouble was, they used Lux flakes for the snow—and
I had to look directly to camera with these soap flakes blowing in my face. If
you can picture a Lux flake, it has a sharp, diamond-shaped tip to it—and
under pressure, these things are like little spikes hitting you. Once in my eyes,
they would dissolve and go all soapy— it was awful, but we got there.’
1990

2000
Below: The large, open-plan area
of Urban Loft provided ample room
to display the thousands of quality
products on offer.
266
Briscoes 150 Years in New Zealand You’ll Never Buy Better 267
stores such as Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma—a homewares store
aimed at the top end of the market—and hoped for 11 potential outlets. The
downtown Auckland location surrounded by professionals working in the
city’s skyscrapers seemed a logical starting point. However, what the team
could not know was that the 2007 global financial crisis was just around the
corner—and with the crisis came redundancies in the surrounding city highrises.
As a result, Urban Loft never attained the revenues anticipated. ‘I blame
myself,’ says Duke. ‘The concept was great, but the timing was abominable.’
Urban Loft was closed in 2011.
With Urban Loft, the Briscoes team wanted to replicate the concept
championed by US stores such as Crate & Barrel and Williams-
Sonoma—a homewares store aimed at the top end of the market.
Living & Giving
In November 2006, a month after the Urban Loft launch, Briscoes announced
the purchase of the Living & Giving stores off PRG, former owner of the
Blue Star Group. Living & Giving had been established in 1987, and PRG
purchased the chain from its founder in 2000 for $5.1 million. At that point,
the company had a handful of stores and was doing a turnover of $10 million.
It was small fry for $360 million PRG, owner of appliance retailers Bond &
Bond, Noel Leeming, and Computer City. But for PRG, Living & Giving
became the problem child. Despite opening further stores, the chain struggled,
and was soon in a loss-making situation. A two-year restructuring programme
which reduced the stores from 16 to nine concluded in 2005, but made no
discernible difference. Living & Giving was put up for sale.
Briscoes’ decision to purchase was done eyes wide open. The Living &
Giving chain had first been considered as a potential acquisition in late 2001,
but hadn’t gone ahead. In 2006, the deal was done. The nine stores had about
2000
Above: The simple but striking designs
of a range of aromatic diffusers at Living
& Giving.

Jason
50 Years of Leading by Design
The Brief
To relate the 50 year history of this family-owned and run
company in an personal and engaging way, and to showcase
the many designs that have helped to achieve the growth and
longevity of this important New Zealand business.
208 pages :Hardc over : Full colour throughout : Comissioned
exclusively for organisation : Shrinkwrapped

184 Jason — 50 years of leading by design
RIGHT: The beautiful double-variegated
rose from the Charlotte series.
BELOW: Custis Garden Camellia.
ABOVE: Inspired by illustrations from
Williamsburg’s rare books collection is this
modern rendition of Meadow Fern.
WILLIAMSBURG
Building on its success at the New York Botanical Garden, in 2007 Jason
was selected to produce Colonial Williamsburg tablemats in an exclusive
arrangement with the historic city.
Once the capital of the American colony of Virginia, Williamsburg is
one of a series of key Independence-era cities on America’s East Coast
including Yorktown and Jamestown. Yet, instead of being relegated to a
bygone era, Williamsburg has been maintained in its authentic eighteenthcentury
situation. The preservation is the result of a remarkable plan
enacted by local clergyman William Goodwin and financed by John D.
Rockefeller Jnr in 1926. With painstaking care to original detail and
relentlessly avoiding modern development, 500 colonial buildings in
the centre of Williamsburg were reinstated to their original condition
funded by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. In keeping with the
restoration, gunsmiths, apothecaries, coopers, and wheelwrights, among
others, continue to practise their trades marketing authentic reproduction
goods from the Independence era.
Jason placemats, coasters, and trays were a welcome addition to the
artisan marketplace. Florals tastefully led the way, with designs such
as Charlotte, Meadow Fern, and Lightfoot House. The most popular line
is Williamsburg Garden Images. The placemats were inspired by the
many historical gardens at Williamsburg, which have been painstakingly
re-created from historical documents. The Jason Williamsburg Garden
Images collection captures this in full colour, and has appeared both in
red and black, on cutting boards, mugs, lap trays, scatter trays, and even
a special reproduction wooden tray.
Moving Forward 185
LEFT and ABOVE: Garden Images, one
of the most enduring designs in the
Williamsburg Collection. The series was
produced with both a black and a red
background.

114 Jason — 50 years of leading by design
THE ROUND MAT
The round mat, produced originally
by tablemat companies in the
nineteenth century, was reintroduced
by Jason in the 1980s. Offering
a point of difference from the
traditional rectangle mat, and
featuring artwork from the Designer
Collection series, interest in the round
tablemats mushroomed. Following
their launch under the banner of
the Jason Designer Collection in 1983,
by the mid-1980s nearly a third of
all Jason mats (37 designs) were
round. Best-sellers such as Tuliptime
and Iristime were released both on a
white as well as a black background.
Also produced were the classic
Redouté Roses, New Zealand Birds,
and New Zealand Wildflowers, along
with designs created especially for
the round product. This included
the refined Chatswood, Sweet Pea,
and Waterlily. By the late 1990s,
interest in the round tablemats had
tempered to around 10 per cent of
the collection, but round mats offered
a distinctive edge and took newgeneration
designs such as Sea Bounty
by New Zealand artist Margaret Scott
particularly well.
Sales and Distribution 115
THIS PAGE (clockwise from top): New
Zealand Birds; Opus; Fairies; Blue
Magpie; and Tuliptime on White.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Sea Bounty (left),
Poppies by the Sea (top), and Pacifica
(right).

Farmers
Your Store for 100 Years
The Brief
To author a well-researched history of the Farmers Trading
Company, celebrating the role that Farmers has played in the
many communities across New Zealand. Story to be richly
illustrated and use personal reminiscences of individuals and
customers.
304 pages : Hard cover : Paperback with flaps : Full colour
throughout

General non-fiction
50 Ways to Love Auckland
With so much to see and do in Auckland, where
do you begin? 50 Ways to Love Auckland does
the planning for you. We’ve chosen 50 of the
essential sights and attractions in this fantastic
city and brought them together in this handy
guide.
Updated edition with over
100 new images
uckland 1909: 24-year-old businessman Robert Laidlaw
Alaunches a mail-order business that will become the
adventure of a lifetime. In a few years it grows to become
the largest store in the country and sets new standards for
what it means to be in business. Free buses to his store every
seven minutes, a free carpark, a Christmas parade, in-store
giveaways, prizes worth a year’s income, the highest-quality
goods at the lowest possible prices—few have seen a business
like it. Nor does he stop there. His launch into chain stores
pre-dates his American counterparts. He is the author of
one of the finest mission statements ever written, an early
exponent of welfare work, and an efficiency expert
before F.W. Taylor’s classic Scientific Management was even
published. Behind it all lay a carefully planned strategy for
business success.
Man For Our Time is an incredible blend of business
genius and faith. From the Highlands of Scotland to the
shores of New Zealand, from Henry Ford’s moving assembly
line in Detroit to the beaches of
Normandy during World War II, this
panoramic biography of one of the
20th century’s greatest businessmen
is a story that will capture your heart
and inspire you to action.
ROBERT
LAIDLAW
MAN FOR OUR TIME
IAN HUNTER
ROBERT LAIDLAW
The Founder of Farmers
‘A remarkable book’
National Business Review
LaidlawCoversFINAL.indd 1 4/10/11 1:19 PM
Robert Laidlaw: Man For Our Time
Founder of the Farmers Trading Company, this
panoramic book charts the life and times of Robert
Laidlaw. Aged 24, he commenced what became New
Zealand’s largest department store chain - Farmers.
Relive those moments in this inspiring biography of
one of New Zealand’s greatest entrepreneurs.
Imagine
Why are some people more innovative than
others? What are some of the enduring
characteristics of great innovators? In this
engaging and thought-provoking book, Imagine
examines the principles and practices of
innovation in companies and organizations.

Online & Video
Ebooks
Write that essay!
Dr Hunter has helped thousands of students with their essay
writing, and he brings that experience to the Write That Essay range
of materials.
Always conscious of different learning styles, Ian’s books and DVD’s
are filled with diagrams and charts, to make learning easier. In
addition, Ian offers lots of examples so students can precisely see
what is expected of them when it comes to write. Ian continues
to speak to student and teacher groups about essay writing and
raising student performance.
Premium DVD Tutorial Set
Paperback & Workbook

contact
hunter publishing
Hunter Publishing
PO Box 24687
Royal Oak
Auckland 1345
sales@hunterpublishing.co.nz +64 9 6366 268