Te Rarawa business owner, Anton Matthews, owner of FUSH in Christchurch / Source - Anton Matthews Facebook Page.
American owned Heinz Wattie's has notified Te Ao that they will no longer be using their parodies of Māori place names.
A spokesperson from Heinz Wattie's says that there was no intention to cause offense:
"Those who have responded to it have overwhelmingly treated it in this way."
"The campaign was designed simply as a fun campaign celebrating all things New Zealand, including our diverse cultures, place names and food.
Te Rarawa entrepreneur, Anton Matthews, owner of FUSH in Christchurch says:
"When I saw those billboards, I was somewhat annoyed because it belittled te reo Māori, and encouraged incorrect pronunciation of Māori place names and words."