A history of NZTC’s Chocolate Fish
The majority of students and staff at New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) are familiar with the friendly face of the Chocolate Fish, affectionately known as Choccie Fish, who has been sharing in all of the College’s special moments, milestones and achievements for over 15 years now.
After being appointed as General Manager in 2003, NZTC’s now Chief Executive Selena Fox quickly adopted this special ‘friend’ of the College to recognise and celebrate the achievements of staff and then students. Her search at the time was for a fun-at-heart treat, known to children and adults alike, that just had to be chocolate…
The Chocolate Fish – a New Zealand traditional treat, commonly used in Kiwi culture as a chocolaty reward for a job well done – was adopted by all. It seemed there was no shortage of NZTC team members and students who did not like chocolate!
Shortly after, the NZTC Chocolate Fish Awards were established as a staff-initiated program to recognise colleagues who shared our College values in above and beyond ways to each other, students and the early childhood sector.
Choccie Fish’s role was expanded in 2004, when a character illustration was created to be incorporated into the everyday lives of staff and students at NZTC. The first design was a simple silhouette that closely resembled the sweet treat – brown in colour and without fins. The design included eyes and a smiling mouth to give it a happy expression.
The existing design received a significant change during NZTC’s 25th anniversary year in 2007, when it was decided that a more practical, versatile design was necessary to accommodate the changing needs of Choccie Fish’s role within the College.
“At that time, the Chocolate Fish had become woven through so much of our day to acknowledge team members and we wanted to be able to portray different things and display various expressions and emotions so it could be adapted and personalised according to the occasion,” explained NZTC Graphic Designer Daniel Lister, who undertook the design change.
The new design featured a flattering, fun silhouette, the addition of NZTC-teal coloured fins, more detailed features like eyebrows and different-sized eyes, and a slightly angled stance. Thereafter the Chocolate Fish increasingly made an appearance at NZTC – from awards, graduation ceremonies and milestones, to College posters and NZTC’s Māori learning resource Te Reo Māori: He taonga mō ā tātou mokopuna.
During the years that have followed, subtle changes have been made to give Choccie a sleeker look. To date, almost 800 designs of Choccie Fish have been created and today no occasion at NZTC is without a unique Choccie Fish to accompany it. Choccie can be seen in many shapes and sizes from USB drives, to life-size characters, to children’s learning toys and of course, the original chocolate treat.
The Chocolate Fish has grown with NZTC and continues to evolve as we move into the years ahead.