Bilingual guest amenities. Ka pai!

Published on Sep 22, 2022

Edgewater Collaboration, The First Te Reo Bilingual Product Range

Health Pak is incredibly pleased to introduce our first ever te reo bilingual product range! Manufactured right here in Aotearoa, creating these hair and body care guest amenities has been a project the team at Health Pak are proud to have been a part of. 

How did the Edgewater Collaboration come about?

Featuring world-first te reo Māori bilingual packaging, this project was made possible by our hoa (friends) at Edgewater Hotel in Wānaka. 

The collaboration came about when Edgewater Hotel, which previously had a line of imported guest hair and body care amenities, wanted to change back to New Zealand-made. As the only 100% New Zealand manufacturer, we were approached, and we couldn’t be more chuffed as the Edgewater Collaboration was born!

Together, we developed the Edgewater Hotel Wānaka range of custom amenities. Both locally manufactured and featuring te reo product names, this collection takes ‘keeping it Kiwi’ to a whole new level. The range features bilingual labels on Edgewater’s Hopi Makawe (shampoo), Hopi Whakamania (conditioner), Hopi Tinana (body wash), Pani Tinana (body balm), and Hopi Rika (hand wash).

This range is 100% New Zealand-made, with the collection’s formulations developed around the South Island blackcurrant extract. We use the same base formulation in our guest amenities as we do in our Salon-Exclusive Kennedy-Smith range, such as the Kennedy Smith Nourishing Body Wash. 

Infused with antioxidant-rich Canterbury blackcurrant extract, these guest hair and body care products come in 400ml refillable bottles made from PET. They are fully recyclable (as are the 5-litre bulk bottles). We ensure that all our hair and body care products are made using biodegradable formulations (tested on humans, not animals). They are made from a 100% vegetable base and are Paraben free.

What is the significance of a locally-made, bilingual range of custom amenities?

As all our customers would tell you, the quality of hotel guest amenities significantly impacts the guest’s overall perception of their stay. Including locally-made products in your establishments is a huge step forward in the tiaki (care) of our culture and whakamana (empowerment) of our manuhiri (guests).

It allows foreign and domestic guests to experience and appreciate locally-made New Zealand products and empowers them to learn more everyday te reo Māori.

In Aotearoa, multiple initiatives have been put in place to nurture, rejuvenate, and preserve Aotearoa’s indigenous legacy. Passive learning plays a huge part in language assimilation. Our brains naturally remember the things that we see. Bilingual packaging allows us to bring Aotearoa’s rich native culture into the lives and awareness of people’s everyday lives.

Some companies incorporate bilingual te reo labelling for occasions, such as Te Wiki o te reo Māori (Māori Language Week). In our opinion, we shouldn’t only embrace te reo Māori on special occasions, but every day. Incorporating bilingual products with te reo Māori and English descriptions on the packaging is an excellent opportunity for businesses to embrace Māori culture and enrich their guests’ experiences.

What this collaboration means to Health Pak?

The Edgewater Collaboration has been an exceptional project to take part in. “We’re very pleased that we can be a part of this initiative and bring more te reo Māori into everyone’s daily lives,” says Health Pak’s general manager of sales and marketing, Jimi Kennedy-Grant. “Celebrating and encouraging the use of our native language is something the team at Health Pak is passionate about. We are so proud to have had the opportunity to partner with our hoa at Edgewater Hotel and Komene from tenei Te Ruru and Paulette from Kotahi Mano Kāika to develop the very first te reo Māori and English bilingual range of guest hair and body care products. Kia mahahau!”

If you’re interested in working with Health Pak to create a sustainable range of new bilingual guest amenities, reach out to Health Pak at +64 9 579 6268, by email at info@healthpak.co.nz or contact us via the website.