subtexting ads

Haka Dance



the ad above is for a sportwear company - adidas i think. it plays on the imagery of the martiality of war and sports, and uses the haka as the theme. the tattoed faces of ancient warriors are juxtaposed with the somber ones of modern-day rugby players of All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. in new zealand, rugby teams have been performing hakas since 1884. as war cries go, hakas have lent themselves well to sports wars.

All Blacks are sponsored by adidas. but as a national sports team, they belong to the country first of all. the Haka is a maori taonga - a cultural treasure and the All Blacks perform it with respect and pride. can a sponsor of a sports team lay claims to a national treasure and turn it into an ad pitch?

anyway, here's the text of the haka and its translation.

Ringa pakia
Uma tiraha
Turi whatia
Hope whai ake
Waewae takahia kia kino

Slap the hands against the thighs
Puff out the chest
Bend the knees
Let the hip follow
Stamp the feet as hard as you can.

Ka Mate! Ka Mate!
Ka Ora! Ka Ora!
Tenei te ta ngata puhuru huru
Nana nei i tiki mai
Whakawhiti te ra
A upane ka upane!
A upane kaupane whiti te ra!
Hi!!

It is death! It is death!
It is life! It is life!
This is the hairy person
Who caused the sun to shine
Keep abreast! Keep abreast
The rank! Hold fast!
Into the sun that shines!