New Zealand | MagentaDot Brands

Young man in a red 1957 Rambler Rebel t-shirt standing beside New Brighton Pier.

From Banner to Tee: Designing a T-Shirt Inspired by the 1957 Rambler Rebel

March 12, 2025 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

A Spark of Inspiration Mid-Project

When I was deep into the process of re-creating a 1957 American Motors dealership banner for my friend’s Rambler Rebel restoration, I found myself intrigued by the car’s oddball charm. Its rarity fascinated me. My friend had showed me the 1957 Rambler Rebel in his workshop, which he’s been pouring his heart into restoring, it was in its bare metal current state. Its unibody design was clearly visible and surprising, I didn’t know that any cars were made by American Automakers in the 1950s where the body structure itself provides the main strength.

Curious to understand how this innovation came about, I dove into research. I uncovered fascinating details about the car’s legacy. Monocoque construction contributed to its lightweight agility and record-breaking 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds in 1957 at the Daytona Beach Speed Week. The research also yielded low-resolution images of the car speeding along the test track, and still images of it at Daytona Beach Speed Week.

It occurred to me that the bold graphic design of the banner, with its vintage fonts and striking colours, would look great on a t-shirt. This would be especially true if I paired it with a digital illustration of the Rebel in motion on the track.

Man wearing a red 1957 Rambler t-shirt standing beside New Brighton Pier, celebrating the Rambler Rebel’s legacy. — *Rocking the rebel vibe at New Brighton Pier! This red 1957 Rambler t-shirt honours my friend’s restoration of the iconic Rambler Rebel—a bold nod to its underdog spirit!*

Photocomposite of a 1957 Nash Rambler silk banner in lustrous red with a black-and-white 1957 Rambler Rebel sedan auto show image.

The 1957 Rambler Rebel: A Banner Worth Raising Again

March 8, 2025 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Picture this: it’s 1957, and the American automotive landscape is a parade of chrome and tail fins—cars flexing their excess like peacocks in Detroit showrooms. Then, rolling out of the chaos, comes the 1957 Rambler Rebel. Not a conformist, not a follower, but a four-door rebel with a metallic silver streak and a secret under the hood. My friend, a car nut with grease under his nails and a gleam in his eye, is restoring one of these rare beauties right now. And me? I’m the design guy who got roped into re-creating an American Motors dealership banner from that very year—a bold, period-perfect piece to match his labour of love.

But why go to all this trouble for a car most folks don’t know they’ve forgotten?

1957 Rambler Rebel sedan on a test-driving track, showcasing its silver finish and classic design. — *Revving into history! This 1957 Rambler Rebel sedan tears up the test track, proving its muscle car credentials with style and grit—America’s forgotten badass in action!*

Let me tell you a story about the Rebel that explains it all.

Photocomposite of a 1957 Rambler Rebel sedan in motion as a blurred silver streak backdrop, with a crisp red silk banner in the foreground featuring heat-pressed vinyl graphics. — *Speeding into the spotlight! This photocomposite pairs a motion-blurred 1957 Rambler Rebel with its stunning red silk banner, reborn to honour a rebel with a cause!*

Restored 1965 Rambler Classic 770 Countryman station wagon with a red, white, and blue authentic, re-created, American Motors dealership banner, at the 2024 McLeans Island swap meet.

Making American Motors Great Again

March 3, 2025 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

The project: Re-Create an American Motors Classic American Car Dealership Banner from the 60s.

The Allure of a 1960s Car Dealer Banner

There’s an undeniable allure to an authentic car dealer banner from the 1960s, a cherished relic that transports us back to an era when automotive culture was as much about bold design statements as it was about engineering prowess and value for money.

A Symbol of Post-War Ingenuity

This 1960s Rambler banner, with its vibrantly patriotic red, white, and blue hues, served as proud beacons of post-war American ingenuity.

Drawing Crowds at the Swap Meet

This banner in association with the car drew enthusiasts and casual onlookers alike to the owners’ stall at the 2024 McLeans Island swap meet.

Handcrafted Authenticity

Handcrafted with care, they embodied a tactile authenticity—lustrous, pearly white polyester satin and solid cut vinyl colour printing re-creating the era’s optimism and craftsmanship.

Preserving a Legacy

Recreating such a piece, as my spouse and I did with the 1965 Rambler banner, preserves not just a design but a story, infusing it with durability for modern display while honouring its historical mid-century modern roots.

A Celebration of Nostalgia

It’s a celebration of nostalgia, a functional art piece that elevates any classic car showcase with its vivid presence and timeless appeal.

Driven by Design: Celebrating the 1965 Countryman with Mad Men-Era Panache

High front three-quarter view of a restored 1965 Rambler Classic 770 Countryman station wagon with a re-created Rambler dealer banner, shot at McLeans Island swap meet. — Behold the stunning 1965 Rambler Classic 770 Crosscountry, paired with our handcrafted 1965 Rambler dealer banner, shining at last year’s McLeans Island swap meet—a perfect blend of vintage design and modern craftsmanship.

A smiling boy wearing an orange Surface Active Iconic Kiwi t-shirt beside New Brighton Pier.

Kiwi T-shirt: Unique New Zealand Native Bird Design for Kids

May 19, 2024 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Our eye-catching kiwi design features a bold, two-colour roundel illustration on the front showcasing the most famous New Zealand native bird on a crew neck, mid-weight (185gsm) kids’ t-shirt. A playful mini kiwi icon graces the back for a touch of whimsy. This design pairs best with white, pastels, lights, and brights for maximum contrast. Can be customised with the large art printed on the back and the mini kiwi badge on the front left chest at no extra charge.

Shop Across our Stores

Shop for this flightless bird design across our Surface Active stores:

by ordering here to have it locally printed and DTF heat pressed right here in New Brighton.
Price: $30 plus shipping via Courier Post. Shipping starts at $8 (varies by quantity).
International customers will be charged the actual shipping cost based on the weight and the destination of their order.
As a guide a Large Surface Active 185 gsm t-shirt weighs 130–150 grams.

Or you can shop at either:

our NZ based or
our international DTG printing partner e-stores.
(Use code: “PERFEC” for 5% off your international store purchase.)

*Front and back view of happy twin girls wearing red and blue Surface Active Kiwi t-shirts at a park.*

Photo of a young man with a cup of coffee engaged in art print production with a red-billed gull, New Brighton pier sunrise composite illustration on the computer monitor of his iMac alonside a matching large format framed poster of the same print sitting on his desk. The headline is on the dark navy blue background of the wall and reads: “Let's celebrate our passion for New Zealand… on your wall. Surface Active wildlife art prints. Canvas & specialty papers available.”

Surface Active Wildlife Art Gallery Prints

December 10, 2021 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Surface Active Wildlife Art Gallery Prints

Surface Active design pARTners Chrissie Terpstra and Shaun Waugh welcome orders to reproduce fine art prints from our collection of wildlife artworks, linked here. We provide archival/fine art quality reproduction prints of our works—perfect for your walls or as a gift.

Our offering of limited edition wildlife art prints celebrating New Zealand nature is founded on two strong foundations:

Surface Active—New Zealand Nature T-shirt Company stores

November 16, 2021 / magentadotbrands.com / 2 Comments

November 2021
Dear Surface Dweller,

We’re excited to announce our two online retail stores, the Surface Active global store and the brand new New Zealand-based store! To celebrate this significant stage in the development of our clothing brand we are rewarding our customers with a discount offer.

🛍 NZ-based store
🛍 Global store: Use code: “PERFEC” for 5% off your purchase, storewide.

Links to goods featured in the ad image

Global store links: Adelie penguins, Jewelled gecko, and Kiwi iconic, light colour variant and the Treefern t-shirt, all-over printed.
NZ-based store links: Adelie penguins, Jewelled gecko, and Dolphins leaping, Kaikoura.

Actively yours,

Shaun Waugh (boss),

Chrissie Terpstra (bossier)

Three women smile brightly, each wearing a different Surface Active t-shirt showcasing New Zealand wildlife: an Adélie penguin, a jewelled gecko, and a giant weta.

New Zealand Nature T-shirt Store

November 18, 2020 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Celebrating our Surface Active New Zealand Nature T-shirt Company store launch

Chrissie and I are happy to announce the launch of our Surface Active New Zealand Nature T-shirt Company store. You can shop here to get your Surface Active teeshirts.

Chrissie and I created our New Zealand nature t-shirt company and clothing brand, Surface Active, in 1985. As design pARTners we create wildlife T-shirts in the spirit of fun. Our subject matter is native flora & fauna, landscapes and Kiwiana—designs that celebrate some of the unique and beautiful assets of our country that we love.

We have had many requests to make our most popular T-shirt designs available again. So I made it my lockdown 2020 project to complete the job of launching our brand new Surface Active Teespring store.

From whales to wetas, paua to penguins—please browse through our store to see if there’s something for you.

All the best,

Surface Active design pARTners: Shaun Waugh (boss), Chrissie Terpstra (bossier)

Friendly “Meet the Staff” articles — more than a mug shot

March 26, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

The Pomeroy’s Press welcoming “Meet the Staff” profile articles are more than a mug shot, going above and beyond showing the pub staff’s faces is important and beneficial to improve connection with patrons.

Excellent design conveys care

March 22, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

POMEROY’S ON KILMORE BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION, CHRISTCHURCH

Excellent design conveys care, craftsmanship, professionalism, it is beautiful to see and fun to do

THE BEST DESIGN—design that moves people’s hearts and minds—has something more. It expresses a concept, a great underlying vision that combines imagination and wisdom. Without a great concept, it is fair to say, design is only superficial decoration. A great concept is what gives purpose to the communication art of design. The design of Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accommodation’s brand and corporate identity components, from signage to print & web, to bathroom products is all about vision—the art of imagining and thinking and seeing a world that does not yet exist, and that needs graphic design to bring that to life.

Pomeroy’s on Kilmore boutique accommodation signage

Entrance to Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accommodation.

Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accomodation custom bathroom product range packaging.

Pomeroy’s on Kilmore custom bathroom product range packaging.

“Pomeroy’s and daughters and son” is a family business, having welcomed lots of guests through its doors over the previous eighteen months, in 2007–8 Steve and Victoria Pomeroy decided to complete their plans to fully refurbish, upgrade and rebrand the colonial villa, formerly known as Pomeroy’s B&B from 2006. Snug, comfortable Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accommodation is centrally located next door to Christchurch’s own historic, English-style pub! Managed by Ava the atmosphere is private and personal, complete with delicious continental breakfast, what more could you ask for but their fantastic value tariff? Steve’s career in construction and Victoria’s flair for interior design came together in a great luxury b&b concept that positioned Pomeroy’s on Kilmore as a top of the line B&B.
Keep on reading!