24 November 2023
Sure to Rise
Papakāinga. Homestead.
WRITERS: PETER ALSOP, KATE PARSONSON & RICHARD WOLFE
ILLUSTRATORS: VARIOUS (CREDITED THROUGHOUT)
It’s one of the best-known and most recognised brands and slogans in New Zealand: Edmonds Sure to Rise, with its radiant sun. The man behind the company, Thomas John Edmonds, came to New Zealand with his wife Jane in 1879. His legacy has been brought to life in Sure to Rise: The Edmonds Story. In an edited excerpt from the book, Shepherdess shares some favourite depictions of the brand’s iconic logo and advertisements over time.
Top image. Free recipe leaflets were a popular innovation to attract customers and encourage the use of Edmonds products. The cookery book’s photographs have a nostalgic appeal for many New Zealanders. The example shows lamingtons and custard cups. Illustration detail from the 1955 De Luxe edition of Edmonds Cookery Book (Collection of Peter Alsop). Above. A range of nostalgic baking from the Edmonds’ recipe range. Photo of Adrienne Stephen’s baking, 2021 (Hazel Redmond, photographer, image courtesy of Barry & Adrienne Stephen).
The Edmonds baking powder label is one of New Zealand’s most enduring and recognisable brands. Unusually, the design has remained remarkably stable. The combination of diverse elements, strong, positive colours and the universally appealing themes of sunshine and cooking has ensured its popularity. It has become a mainstay of both Kiwiana and this country’s culinary culture.
Yet, as extensive research has revealed, there have been a number of modest changes to the label over the years. One aspect, however, remains a stubborn secret: the identity of the label’s designer.
The biggest changes to the label were perhaps those made at the very beginning. The earliest such designs were published as advertisements in August 1890 and January 1891. Curiously, both designs were rotated ninety degrees and printed on their side. This certainly created significant visual impact, but the reason may have been purely practical: a single column advertisement was cheaper.
Much remains to be discovered about this iconic and beloved design. It has helped to underpin Edmonds’ success as one of New Zealand’s most enduring and best-known brands – a credit to the original, unknown designer. The marketing experts say that a brand is far more than a logo, but, as the Edmonds story makes clear, a logo is most certainly an essential part of a brand.
Extracted from Sure to Rise: The Edmonds Story by Peter Alsop, Kate Parsonson & Richard Wolfe. Published by Canterbury University Press, 2023. Hardcover, $59.99.
The cover design of Sure to Rise: The Edmonds Story is titled ‘Above All Others’, 1945 (December). Mirror, Mirror Publishing Company (Collection of Peter Alsop). Brendan Graham has superimposed a Sure to Rise baking powder label over the Acto original.
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This story appeared in the Kōanga Spring 2023 Edition of Shepherdess.
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