Here Comes The Second Sun

After a start to the year that saw sunshine hours hit record lows in regions across New Zealand*, the sun was set to shine in August – no matter the weather - as a giant light therapy sun sculpture landed in two iconic Kiwi towns.

The Second Sun is illuminated by over 8,000 bulbs that emit a light designed to lift moods during the darker winter months. At 18-metres-wide and 8 metres tall, the enormous sun sculpture is thought to be the largest installation of its kind.

The Second Sun was created by FCB Aotearoa in collaboration with The Glue Society for New Zealand company Mercury, and PR managed by Artemis Communications.

With Mercury research revealing that three in four New Zealanders (79%) believe that they have experienced the winter blues this year, and that almost one in three (30%) feel the weather has impacted their mood ‘most days’ over the past three months – Mercury hopes the installation will bring a bit more wonderful back into Kiwi days. 

Light therapy lamps are a commonly used alternative treatment for supporting feelings of low mood and reduced energy in winter. In regions with limited winter sun, research has shown that daily exposure to 30 minutes of sun-mimicking bright light, particularly in the morning – can have a positive impact on a person’s mood.** 

Sarah Cowan, head of brand and marketing at Mercury said, “We wanted to create a unique wonderful way of bringing people together and bringing our platform, ‘Energy Made Wonderful’, to life. We hope the Second Sun injects positive energy into the community – a little light relief.”

Leisa Wall, CCO at FCB Aotearoa said, “This is truly an embodiment of Mercury’s platform - Energy made Wonderful. It’s fantastic that Mercury is demonstrating how energy can not only be essential in our lives but make something quite wonderful in a time when we desperately need it.”

Art and directing collective The Glue Society was commissioned to create the Second Sun installation. The sculpture was manufactured and installed by Auckland company Unique Creative under supervision of The Glue Society, production company Revolver. artist and project director Pete Baker says that he wanted to create an artwork that invites people to be a part of the experience. 

Pete Baker, artist and project director at The Glue Society said, “What could be more wonderful than an enormous Second Sun that travels around New Zealand during the cold, dark winter months to bring light, raise a smile and lift the mood of the people that encounter it? There have been countless interpretations of the sun throughout history but we wanted to create a new version that’s an enormous, impossible-to-miss Kiwi sculpture  that isn’t just wonderful to look at but makes you feel wonderful too.” 

The Second Sun landed on Mount Maunganui Beach – the quintessential Kiwi beach town on Friday 4th of August through to Sunday 6th of August and Dunedin’s Octagon – a city that’s cold winter days welcomed some August sunshine on Friday 11th of August through to Sunday 13th. 

The Second Sun is the latest in a series of light installations and festivals Mercury has supported so far this winter, including The Takapuna Winter Lights Festival and The Taupo Winter Festival.