Arotahi — New Zealand Baptist Mission Society

services:

services:

Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, Brand Identity Design, Brand Messaging & Tone of Voice, Website Strategy, UX & UI Design, Website Development, Creative Direction, Art Direction & Illustration, Photography & Film

Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, Brand Identity Design, Brand Messaging & Tone of Voice, Website Strategy, UX & UI Design, Website Development, Creative Direction, Art Direction & Illustration, Photography & Film

about:

about:

Arotahi is the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society, centred on a simple but powerful vision, to see every community engaged in relationships of mutual gospel renewal. This means people and faith communities stepping beyond their own context, learning from one another, giving and receiving, and being transformed together. The name Arotahi speaks to a shared focus, many people, many places, all looking toward one horizon. It reflects a unified direction, grounded in Christ, while embracing the diversity of contexts and cultures. At its core is the belief that every person and every place has been uniquely shaped for a purpose, and that mission is something we walk into together, with intention, humility, and openness.

Arotahi is the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society, centred on a simple but powerful vision, to see every community engaged in relationships of mutual gospel renewal. This means people and faith communities stepping beyond their own context, learning from one another, giving and receiving, and being transformed together. The name Arotahi speaks to a shared focus, many people, many places, all looking toward one horizon. It reflects a unified direction, grounded in Christ, while embracing the diversity of contexts and cultures. At its core is the belief that every person and every place has been uniquely shaped for a purpose, and that mission is something we walk into together, with intention, humility, and openness.

strapline:

strapline:

Hand–carved mission

Hand–carved mission

year:

year:

2021 — 2026

2021 — 2026

location:

location:

New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Thailand

New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Thailand

thinking:

thinking:

At its core is the concept of hand carved mission, a way of working that is patient, attentive, and deeply responsive. It speaks to the character of the work, not just the outcomes, something formed with care, in relationship with people and place, never rushed or imposed. The icon draws from the materials and process of carving, echoing the intricate patterns of wood grain. Like a skilled carver, it reflects a way of working that studies closely, responds to the grain, and honours the material, suggesting mission that is bespoke and shaped with care for the particularities of people and place. The form also reveals a subtle symmetry of hands joined, acknowledging Arotahi’s bicultural journey. Layered, organic, and deeply personal, the mark reflects the belief that each life and community has been carefully shaped over time, carrying its own story and texture. Flowing lines create a sense of humanity and movement, avoiding anything overly rigid or mechanical, while the centred form holds a quiet strength and shared focus, pointing to unity in Christ.

At its core is the concept of hand carved mission, a way of working that is patient, attentive, and deeply responsive. It speaks to the character of the work, not just the outcomes, something formed with care, in relationship with people and place, never rushed or imposed. The icon draws from the materials and process of carving, echoing the intricate patterns of wood grain. Like a skilled carver, it reflects a way of working that studies closely, responds to the grain, and honours the material, suggesting mission that is bespoke and shaped with care for the particularities of people and place. The form also reveals a subtle symmetry of hands joined, acknowledging Arotahi’s bicultural journey. Layered, organic, and deeply personal, the mark reflects the belief that each life and community has been carefully shaped over time, carrying its own story and texture. Flowing lines create a sense of humanity and movement, avoiding anything overly rigid or mechanical, while the centred form holds a quiet strength and shared focus, pointing to unity in Christ.

Arotahi logo construction sheet — six white circular logomark explorations (fingerprint, wood grain, concentric rings, radiating lines and the final mark) over a faint grey alignment grid on a light background.

As our organisation stepped into a new chapter, it was crucial that our re-brand could carry generations of faithful supporters as well as engaging a younger audience. The strapline was Spirit-inspired and has straddled the age boundary in order to resonate with a diverse audience. The website is not only a beautiful piece of visual storytelling, but also a genuine resource to us as a means of communication, inspiration, and education. So, thank you Vine! We are consistently in awe of the world-class calibre of work that you produce.

Portrait of a smiling woman with dark hair tied back, wearing a black tank top and a fine necklace, standing in front of green garden foliage — an Arotahi testimonial portrait.
Kelly

Engagement & Communications Manager, Arotahi

As our organisation stepped into a new chapter, it was crucial that our re-brand could carry generations of faithful supporters as well as engaging a younger audience. The strapline was Spirit-inspired and has straddled the age boundary in order to resonate with a diverse audience. The website is not only a beautiful piece of visual storytelling, but also a genuine resource to us as a means of communication, inspiration, and education. So, thank you Vine! We are consistently in awe of the world-class calibre of work that you produce.

Portrait of a smiling woman with dark hair tied back, wearing a black tank top and a fine necklace, standing in front of green garden foliage — an Arotahi testimonial portrait.
Kelly

Engagement & Communications Manager, Arotahi

As our organisation stepped into a new chapter, it was crucial that our re-brand could carry generations of faithful supporters as well as engaging a younger audience. The strapline was Spirit-inspired and has straddled the age boundary in order to resonate with a diverse audience. The website is not only a beautiful piece of visual storytelling, but also a genuine resource to us as a means of communication, inspiration, and education. So, thank you Vine! We are consistently in awe of the world-class calibre of work that you produce.

Portrait of a smiling woman with dark hair tied back, wearing a black tank top and a fine necklace, standing in front of green garden foliage — an Arotahi testimonial portrait.
Kelly

Engagement & Communications Manager, Arotahi

Arotahi woodgrain logomark — an isometric ‘W’/‘A’ block built from carved wood-grain texture in dark brown, on a speckled cream background.
Extreme close-up of an older person’s lower face — freckled, weathered skin, nose and lips — against a black collar.
Extreme close-up of an older person’s lower face — freckled, weathered skin, nose and lips — against a black collar.
White ‘AROTAHI’ wordmark, the ‘O’ replaced by the circular wood-grain logomark, centred on a black background.
Intricate black-and-white line-art illustration of tree growth rings and branching grain filling a perfect circle on a white background — the Arotahi whakapapa motif.
Four-photo Arotahi mood grid — an aerial river city, a close-up of a moustached elderly man in white, peeling orange Bengali-script paint on a wall, and a man in a lungi standing on the deck of a wooden river boat.
The handwritten script phrase ‘hand—carved mission’ in black over a white background of faint grey topographic contour lines.
White Arotahi poster hanging from clips on a wall, featuring a striking portrait of a bald bearded Black man looking at the camera, with the wood-grain logomark, the ‘AROTAHI’ wordmark and the script ‘hand—carved mission’ caption.
Three stacked Arotahi ‘Branding Guidelines’ landscape booklets on a grey surface, their covers showing close-up green leaf-vein photography with the script ‘Branding Guidelines’ title and the Vine logo.
Open Arotahi brand booklet on a white surface — the left page a dark ‘Arotahi Photography’ title, the right page a ‘Textured imagery’ spread with a grid of small fabric, paint and material photos.
Rolled and open Arotahi brand booklet on a grey surface — the open page shows ‘Logo clear space’ guidance with the ‘AROTAHI / HAND—CARVED MISSION’ full logo and logomark over alignment grids, the rolled page revealing the circular logomark and a green leaf interior.
Portrait of a weathered elderly bearded man in a checked turban and cream T-shirt sitting cross-legged holding a bamboo oar, with wooden river boats moored behind him.
Portrait of a South Asian girl in a patterned teal-blue headscarf over a floral dress, arms crossed, standing on a rocky riverbank with a hazy town and boats behind her.
White Arotahi logomark — a circular wood-grain/fingerprint symbol — centred on a black background.
Overhead view of the full Arotahi rebrand guideline document — a grid of pages covering the ‘Arotahi ReBrand Final’ cover, brand thinking, the circular logomark, ‘hand—carved mission’ lockups, textured photo collages, apparel and stationery mockups, topography/woodgrain/fingerprint themes and a ‘Thank you’ page with the Vine logo.
Four-photo Arotahi mood grid — an aerial river city, a close-up portrait of a moustached elderly man in white, hand-washed laundry hanging to dry, and peeling green paint on weathered wood.
Four-photo Arotahi mood grid — an aerial river city, a close-up portrait of a moustached elderly man in white, hand-washed laundry hanging to dry, and peeling green paint on weathered wood.
Man in a black crew-neck T-shirt printed with the circular Arotahi wood-grain logomark in tonal black, shown from neck to waist against a grey background.
A hand pressing down on blue denim being hand-washed in sudsy water, overlaid with the white Arotahi wood-grain circular logomark.
The handwritten script phrase ‘hand—carved mission’ in black over a pale grey background of faint white tree-grain line illustrations.
Two iPhones on a white ledge showing the Arotahi mobile site — one split between a green tree-bark ‘Arotahi Teams’ panel and an aerial river-city ‘Skilled Placements’ photo, the other a black ‘Explore’ page with a wood cross-section ‘Whakapapa’ image and footer.
Two iPhones on a white ledge showing the Arotahi mobile site — one split between a green tree-bark ‘Arotahi Teams’ panel and an aerial river-city ‘Skilled Placements’ photo, the other a black ‘Explore’ page with a wood cross-section ‘Whakapapa’ image and footer.
Extreme close-up of an older woman’s mouth and cheek with a gold hoop earring, overlaid with the white serif headline ‘The Arotahi Miss…(ion)’.
Open MacBook on a white plinth showing the Arotahi site split into a green peeling-paint ‘Arotahi Teams’ panel on the left and an aerial photo of a river-side Asian city on the right.
Arotahi black navigation menu — white links for About Arotahi, People & places, Church resources, Global experiences, Updates & news, Give and Contact, beside the wood-grain logomark and faint dark concentric ring texture.
Arotahi ‘Hand—Carved Mission’ history page — a dark-toned photo of an old timber Baptist church with the large serif year ‘1885’, ‘IT ALL STARTED’ and a ‘001/017’ timeline marker.
Arotahi ‘Hand—Carved Mission’ history page — a dark-toned photo of an old timber Baptist church with the large serif year ‘1885’, ‘IT ALL STARTED’ and a ‘001/017’ timeline marker.
Arotahi global-worker donation card for ‘Grace — Activating and facilitating intentional community in Aotearoa discipleship flats’ with her smiling photo and a black Donate button, beside a ‘Newsletter sign-up’ form.
Arotahi donation interface — a ‘Choose Amount’ card with a $100 field and preset $10–$250 buttons and a Continue button, beside an ‘Our student homes’ heading and body copy about four South Asian student hostels.
MacBook Pro showing the Arotahi homepage — a warm cinematic close-up of hands whittling wood, the white ‘AROTAHI / HAND—CARVED MISSION’ logo, and the handwritten script headline ‘hand—carved mission’.