He’s possibly the most recognisable man in New Zealand at present, the doctor right at the forefront of the country's fight against Covid-19.
A Dunedin clothing printing company is now making good use of Dr Ashley Bloomfield’s new-found fame and has started selling t-shirts and tote bags with his face front and centre.
“In every crisis we see superheroes come out of it, and he’s one of the most visible figures that’s come out of this,” artist Andy Giesecke says.
The image of the Director-General of Health, along with the words "the curve crusher", are being printed on products at The Print Room. With his support.
Orders are already in the thousands, with every cent of the profits going to the Women’s Refuge.
“People can be incredibly creative about how they raise us money and this one's certainly put a bit of a smile on my face,” Women’s Refuge chief executive Dr Ang Jury says.
So far the group believe they’ve raised about $50,000.
“I think right now they need that money,” says co-owner Jon Thom.
Despite Dr Bloomfield taking a rare day off today, those who work closely with him say they’re not surprised to hear about the prints' popularity.
“I’m very conscious of the fact Dr Bloomfield has become somewhat of a cult figure in New Zealand and from time to time that means you end up on t-shirts and tea towels,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said at the daily coronavirus media conference this afternoon.
He said he hadn't checked out the t-shirts on the company's website yet, but would have to see if they had a suitable size for him.
Dr Bloomfield has given the group permission to use his image. And while thousands have already been sold across New Zealand, sales have also been recorded in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
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