Pop a Labour breath mint or grab your hot pink Act hoodie, it’s election season!
We’re under two months until the election, which means fresh merch is rolling off the production line almost as quickly as policy announcements. Volunteers are decked out and web stores are well-stocked (except, that is, in National’s case, as the party bucks convention by not offering merch for sale – it’s given to volunteers and handed out to voters on the campaign trail). Regardless of how it’s distributed, merch raises questions. Will it help a party get votes? Is it cool? And will it all be in the bin by November anyway? Time will tell. For now, here’s what’s good, what’s not and what we’d like to see next year.
THE BEST
$20 fare cap ($20, obviously), Labour
An inspired piece of design and a rare example of a pun that’s not terrible, this is a smart, practical way to promote Labour’s public transport policy. The “vintage wash” suggests years of commuting and weathered caps are cool according to The Wall Street Journal, Jeremy Allen White and your dad.
Mike Butterick lip balm (not for sale), National
Practical and portable. The Spinoff’s political reporter, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith, was lucky enough to get her hands on one of these, but thinks the National MP, who is trying to hold on to his Wairarapa electorate and whose penchant for merch has made headlines in recent months, missed out on a “HUGE opportunity” by not calling this “Butterlips”.
Patches ($15 for three, assorted), Green Party
The most skux tuatara I’ve ever seen. Probably has a ticket to Womad.
Jacket ($250), Te Pāti Māori
Of all the political apparel, this is the swaggiest. Varsity jackets convey status, success and teamwork – qualities that are beneficial in political campaigning. You can’t buy the two-toned members-only version (sorry) but you can get the bomber jacket in silver or black from Te Pāti Māori’s collaboration with Kaikohe-based apparel brand Cuzy T.
Hoodie ($66), Act
Described as “freedom-loving style”, this gives you the freedom to integrate a challenging hue into an outfit. It’s bang on trend: hot pink was declared the colour of 2026 by fashion media (again). Act was ahead of the curve; in a move worthy of a Miranda Priestly monologue, the party adopted the colour in 2019 as part of a wildly successful rebrand.
Coffee mug ($25), Labour
A celebration of graphic design and Labour history. Sip a cuppa and reminisce about the past: Rogernomics, Helen Clark’s second term and the wildly loose kerning of the 2000s party logo.
Swanndri jackets (not for sale), National
MPs and candidates have been giving these monogrammed Swannies a thrashing on the campaign trail. The brief is clear – down-to-earth, bootstrappy pragmatism – and these nailed it.
For those who like to wear their allegiance close to their skin. If you’re too nervous to discuss politics during a date (or wear this sticker) and risk ruining your natural wine and warmed olives, these should send a strong signal… eventually.
Max Harris merch (available soon, or now if you have a VoteMaxxing card), Labour
This cheerful tee (there’s also a hoodie version) fuses Auckland infrastructure with Play School aesthetics. Designed by Atelier Marteil for Tāmaki candidate Max Harris, it appears to be targeting optimistic millennials and to that I say: well played.
Rima Nakhle chips (not for sale), National
Genius. What is politics if not taking a gamble on the future?
T-shirt ($30-$35), Te Pāti Māori
Harnessing the power of the word cloud, this stresses the importance of mokopuna and decisions. Bonus points for the size inclusivity – this goes up to 4XL.
THE QUESTIONABLE
Mint tin ($5), Labour
How else to promote the importance of jobs, health and homes but with a tin of breath mints? Handy for the campaign trail.
T-shirt ($40), Act
The party’s edgier merchandise comes from its youth wing. This demonstrates a level of design freedom usually found in bootleg T-shirt stores, Reddit threads and opaque ecommerce sites. In lieu of slapping “it’s a joke” on the back, the product notes carefully explain that this “satirical” garment is designed for people “with a sense of humour”. What do political pundits think? Lyric Waiwiri-Smith ruled this one “unfortunately so gangsta”.
Jacket ($90.85), NZ First
This jacket is properly proper, apparently. It looks like it would keep you warm at a community meeting in a draughty hall and go well with grey.
Tametallica and TaMETAL Tees (not for sale and $80), Greens
The spectre of Chumbawamba-gate and Eminem-esque came for the Green Party in July, when a “Tametallica Tee” was withdrawn after suggestions of trademark infringement were raised by Newstalk ZB. It dashed the dreams of vegan metalheads across the land, but despair was quickly remedied when Tamatha Paul and designer Timothy Russell released an alternative. Justice for all.
Cap ($37.79), Opportunity
Distracting from this cap’s unfortunate lack of rizz is some intriguingly Yoda-esque copywriting: “The hat of Opportunitiy [sic] – Wear it you must”.
THE POTENTIAL
Labour x The Warehouse
The big red shed began rolling out a patriotic new campaign this winter. “This is Warehouse country” positions the brand amid “everyday Kiwi life” in an effort to remind New Zealanders of its presence and history. Labour could stand to do the same. Both organisations have struggled in recent years. Could a collaborative tote bag be the answer? They do have a shared affinity with crimson.
Act x Supré
For the love of the free market, if anyone can persuade Supré to revive its iconic pink tote bags (RIP) and return to New Zealand it’s David Seymour. Who knows, it may increase their popularity among nostalgia-pilled millennial women?
National <3 Ikea
A natural fit. They share the same confident shade of blue and Christopher Luxon displayed zeal for the Swedish homeware giant at its momentous-and-definitely-not-cringe Auckland opening. Will it be enough to win the election? Or would collaborative merch increase his likelihood of saying “skål” on November 7?
Red Band gumboots
Were they to consider a collaboration, Skellerup could take their pick of suitors. Everyone’s after that ineffable “Kiwi” quality: National loves blue Swanndris, Winston has his oilskin coat and Tākuta Ferris is partial to hoodies. The boots also match Te Pāti Māori and Labour colours. Or take things a step further and embrace Red Bands’ position as bipartisan footwear by outfitting everyone on election day. Problem solved.
Inflatable tube man
Why isn’t everyone harnessing his winsome choreography and jubilant energy? It’s just what this grim-vibes election needs.
