Tote bag, 'Go Hard & Go Early'

This tote bag is part of a range of merchandise designed by Dunedin artist Sam Sharpe during the first Covid-19 lockdown. It depicts Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as Wonder Woman, with the message ‘Go Hard & Go Early’ underneath. Sharpe’s work marries current events and local personalities with global pop culture, and this merchandise materialises a key phrase in New Zealand’s Covid-19 vernacular.

On 14 March 2020 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand’s strategy in response to the Covid-19 pandemic would be to ‘go hard, and go early.’ The phrase became something of a national motto, and was repeated again and again as a series of new regulations came into effect. According to a study published in The Lancet, the speed and intensity of this national response to Covid-19 was internationally unprecedented.

The measures taken to fight Covid-19 caused severe social and economic disruption, but New Zealanders overwhelmingly supported the Government’s strict response. The Prime Minister was widely praised for her decisive leadership and effective communication in response to the pandemic and a range of objects bearing Ardern’s likeness, from handtowels to hoodies, were available for purchase.

Sam Sharpe sold the ‘Go Hard Go Early’ merchandise on The Print Room website as part of the ‘Keep a Good Thing Going’ campaign. During the Level-4 lockdown The Print Room offered free online stores to businesses so that they could market and sell branded merchandise. The aim was to provide a platform that would allow small businesses to produce some income while their stores were closed. For every tote bag sold, $10 was donated to The Foodbank Project.

References

• Coughlan, Thomas. 2020. Coronavirus: The Government’s Covid-19 lockdown measures have overwhelming public support, according to a poll. Stuff, April 23. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/121231591/coronavirus-the-governments-covid19-lockdown-measures-have-overwhelming-public-support-according-to- a-poll
• Manhire, Toby. 2021. Exclusive poll: NZ support for Covid-19 response remains sky high. The Spinoff, February 18. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/18-02-2021/exclusive-poll-nz-support-for-covid-19-response-remains-sky-high/
• Satherley, Dan. 2020. Coronavirus: New Zealand’s ‘go hard and go early’ COVID-19 response ‘unprecedented internationally’ – study. Newshub, 15 October. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/10/coronavirus-new-zealand-s-go-hard-and-go-early-covid-19-response-unprecedented-intern ationally-study.html