You’ve probably seen it. A black flag, a silver fern, and a brown, flightless bird shooting a neon-green laser beam out of its eye. It looks like a fever dream or something a teenager cooked up in MS Paint after three energy drinks. Well, honestly, it kind of was.
The new zealand flag kiwi—specifically the "Laser Kiwi" design—started as a joke during a $26 million government project. It ended up becoming a global symbol of New Zealand’s weird, self-deprecating, and fiercely independent sense of humor.
While the official 2015-2016 flag referendum was supposed to be a serious, nation-building moment, it somehow turned into a showcase for one of the most absurd bird illustrations in history. People still talk about it. You’ll see it at rugby matches, in internet memes, and even on patches worn by New Zealand volunteers halfway across the world in Ukraine.
The flag that almost (but definitely didn't) happen
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key decided New Zealand needed a new flag. The current one, with its Union Jack in the corner, looked too much like Australia's. It felt like a colonial leftover. The government asked for public submissions. They got over 10,000.
Most were boring. There were a lot of silver ferns and koru spirals. But tucked away in the mix was "Fire the Lazer" by Lucy Gray.
Gray, a former ACT Party candidate, didn't use fancy design software. She literally used Microsoft Paint. Her logic? Australia has all the deadly animals, so New Zealand needed a deadly bird. The laser beam was supposed to project a "powerful image" of the country.
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Why everyone obsessed over a laser-eyed bird
The Flag Consideration Panel, a group of 12 people tasked with narrowing down the options, didn't actually pick the Laser Kiwi for the final shortlist. They went with more professional-looking designs, mostly by Kyle Lockwood.
People were bored. The official finalists felt like corporate logos for an airline or a bank.
That's when the internet took over. Comedians like John Oliver on Last Week Tonight started mocking the "boring" choices and championed the Laser Kiwi as the only sane option. It became a protest symbol. If the government was going to spend millions on a referendum most people didn't want, the public was going to make it as weird as possible.
The bird became a "cult classic" for several reasons:
- It’s relatable: Every Kiwi knows the feeling of being the "underdog" or the "little guy" on the world map. A flightless bird with a weaponized eye is the ultimate underdog story.
- The "MS Paint" aesthetic: In an age of polished, AI-generated perfection, there’s something genuinely human about a clunky drawing of a bird.
- The memes: It was born for social media. It was hilarious, easy to remix, and looked great on a t-shirt.
The kiwi isn't actually on the real flag
Here is a fact that trips up people outside of Oceania: the actual new zealand flag kiwi does not exist on the national banner.
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The current New Zealand flag features:
- The Union Jack (representing British ties).
- The Southern Cross (four red stars with white borders).
- A deep blue field.
There is no bird. No fern. No laser.
This is actually why the debate started in the first place. The kiwi is the national icon. It’s on the coins. It’s the nickname for the people. But it’s nowhere to be found on the flag. During the referendum, many "serious" kiwi designs were submitted—silhouettes of the bird standing under the stars or standing on a green hill. They all lost.
In the end, New Zealanders voted to keep the old flag. They chose the "devil they knew" over the silver fern designs that felt a bit too much like marketing branding.
A legacy that won't die
Even though it lost the vote, the Laser Kiwi won the culture war.
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In 2023, the design made headlines again when it was spotted on the battlefield in Ukraine. A New Zealand volunteer soldier was photographed with the Laser Kiwi patch on his gear. It had transformed from a joke into a genuine mark of identity.
It has even inspired other states. When Minnesota was looking for a new flag in 2023, a "Laser Loon" design (a loon bird with laser eyes) went viral, clearly nodding to the New Zealand original. Illinois saw a "Laser Cardinal" during its own redesign talks in 2025.
Basically, Lucy Gray’s MS Paint bird created a new genre of "unhinged but lovable" national symbols.
What to do if you want your own Laser Kiwi
If you’re looking to grab a piece of this weird history, you don’t have to look far.
- Find a flag: You can buy the "Fire the Lazer" flag from various online flag retailers. It’s a staple at music festivals and international sports games.
- Check the archives: The original submission is still viewable on the New Zealand Government’s archived flag gallery. It’s worth a look just to see the "Sheep and Hokey Pokey" design that also almost made the cut.
- Support local artists: Many Kiwi creators sell pins, patches, and stickers of the laser bird. It’s a great way to show you know the "inside joke" of New Zealand culture.
The flag referendum might have been a $26 million "non-event" in terms of policy, but it gave the world a bird that shoots lasers. And honestly, maybe that was worth the price.
Next steps for you: If you're interested in New Zealand's visual identity, you should look into the "Red Peak" design. It was a grassroots favorite that actually made it onto the ballot after a massive social media petition, representing a much more serious take on modern Kiwi symbolism.