Ethics Statement

Ambitious Aotearoa is committed to ethical advertising standards that promote a healthier, more inclusive Aotearoa for all New Zealanders. The attached ethics statement sets out a series of standards by which we hope to abide, providing an outline for our people and the brands we work with. 

Our agency is governed by the code of advertising as set out by the Advertising Standards Authority and will abide by any and all rulings.

Principles:

1. Honour Aotearoa and all its peoples: We belong to a beautiful and diverse nation, made up of many cultures. We believe in the power of kiwis to do amazing things, from climbing Everest to splitting the atom and taking flight. Telling meaningful brand stories requires a commitment to celebrating this culture with honour and respect for the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As creative leaders we are blessed with the guardianship over the sacred Taonga of Maori art and design and we treat these items with care to uphold them for future generations.
2. Celebrate diversity: Our workforce is diverse and so are our audiences. Ambitious Aotearoa is committed to portraying diversity wherever appropriate, be that diversity of gender, race, religion or culture. We have love for our people and we celebrate their individuality.
3. Be explicitly honest: The law in New Zealand requires that whenever a finance offer is being presented through advertising, the primary terms and interest rates of this offer needs to be reasonably prominent enough as not to be missed by a normal person. More than this, we have a commitment to telling the truth. Good messaging should highlight the benefits of a product, brand or service to its audience, and to do this requires an honest assessment of what our product is and what it isn’t. We don’t make misleading statements or support false information. We do this to foster the trust between brands and consumers.
4. Promote a sustainable Aotearoa: Our company is committed to net zero outcomes for Aotearoa. Wherever possible we champion sustainable solutions not only with our own working environment but in the brands and products we advertise.
5. Ethical retouching: Wherever imagery is retouched or altered, we should maintain an objective truth. This means not altering imagery to the extent it is no longer a fair representation of the product or talent. We support honest beauty standards, we don’t engage in image manipulation that promotes unhealthy body images.
6. Actively work against modern slavery: Modern slavery is still a problem globally and one that needs global attention. Though we're fortunate to live in a country with good working conditions, it's important that we build closer engagement with any foreign suppliers to ensure that we're not perpetuating this problem. Wherever we need to procure product or service from overseas we take an active approach to ensuring any foreign supply chain is free from exploitation. 

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