Introducing our 1966 hoodie

This cool and comfy new hoodie is student-designed, and pays tribute to the connection between Ōtepoti Dunedin and Otago Polytechnic.

When our Marketing, Communications and Engagement team was looking to add some new merchandise to appeal to our ākonga, it sounded like the perfect project for third-year Communication Design students.

“We’ve had some amazing interns from the programme in the past – one is now a permanent member of our team – so we knew the students had the skills to come up with some fresh concepts for student-friendly merch,” says Ann Tuan, Events and Operations Coordinator.

Third-year students Brooklyn Taylor, Maia Taylor, Lee Tolken and Ellie Nevill worked together to research and create a range of items, including the hoodie, vibrant packaging for chocolate, lip balms, a ceramic travel cup with custom holder, meme stickers and enamel pins.

After some deliberation, Brooklyn Taylor’s hoodie design was selected for production.

The 1966 hoodie

Brooklyn wanted to create a design that students could connect with, so she started by brainstorming ideas about OP and student life.

“I enjoyed working with OP’s established branding because it meant I could focus on creating a design that fit that identity while still bringing my own ideas to it.”

Her hoodie features a fully-illustrated Dunedin scene featuring the harbour, the Hydro building, OP’s Dunedin campus, a sealion and a yellow-eyed penguin. The text – ‘Ōtepoti Dunedin since 1966’ – references the date Otago Polytechnic was officially established.

“There was a lot of trial and error with placement, alignment and layout. I landed on the final design once everything felt clean, well-balanced and the spacing just looked right,” she says.

The hoodie is already flying off the shelves, and Brooklyn’s enjoying seeing it out and about around campus.

“It's super cool. Seeing people wearing something I designed is pretty rewarding, and it's awesome knowing the design is being used and enjoyed.”

Valuable industry experience

The entire project was a useful one for the students, says Communication Design Lecturer, Taryn Ormsby.

“They were able to work with a genuine institutional client and within real constraints like budgets, existing brand guidelines and timelines. They had to critically research their own peer culture to understand what makes OP students distinct, what they actually buy and wear, and what price points were realistic.”

She says this process closely mirrored a real studio-to-client relationship.

“The direct pitching, the industry critiques and presenting finished outcomes to the marketing team in person all gave students exposure to the kind of accountability and feedback loops they'll face in professional practice.”

Taryn says projects like this are a strong case for what live client work can do for student outcomes, both in terms of portfolio quality and real-world readiness.

“The fact that Otago Polytechnic's own Marketing team has a track record of supporting internships and hiring Communication Design graduates speaks to that,” she says.

Buy a hoodie

It's easy to purchase your own 1996 hoodie – and browse any other OP merch that takes your fancy – from Customer Services in The Hub, or through our website.