ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Culture
MAKE IT PERMANENT
The Wellington City Council has unveiled a brand-new sign that they believe will finally resonate with the people, replacing the iconic “Wellington” sign on the hills of Miramar with a bold tribute to the ever-popular New Zealand Warriors: “Up the Wahs.”
The decision to replace the infamous “Wellington” sign came after years of locals and tourists alike pondering why the city’s marker seemed to have a Hollywood hangover. The giant letters towering over Miramar were often mistaken for a rogue movie set or perhaps a secretive outpost of the Kiwi film industry.
Council spokesperson, Karen Gallagher, expressed her excitement about the change, saying, “We’ve finally found a slogan that people actually enjoy. For a while we just had ‘Wellywood’ which of course, Wellington is absolutely nothing like Hollywood, but we did it anyway.
“Then we changed the signage to just ‘Wellington’ which is stupid as anybody flying into Wellington doesn’t really need a second reminder to what city they’re landing in.
But ‘Up the Wahs’ just has a feel good story to it. I mean, the team is going well, Shaun Johnson’s in career best form. It’s impossible to go wrong with a slogan that instantly makes people feel good,” Gallagher explained, smiling in delight at the city’s best marketing ploy ever.
The latest erection of the sign on the Miramar hills comes as the Warriors are enjoying an exceptional season in the NRL, where they will now play the Brisbane Broncos next weekend for a spot in the NRL’s grand final.
“Even if the team doesn’t get up next week, the sign is here to stay. ‘Up the Wahs’ is just the kind of slogan that pumps you up regardless if you like sportsball or not.
“Up the Wahs!”
More to come.
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