As well as thinking "show us your crack", people should now also think "show us your trees" when they think of the brand Novus.
The windscreen repair company has recently announced a partnership with Trees That Count, a charity that supports community planting groups and landowners around New Zealand with funded native trees, which means reducing CO2 emissions and strengthening the country's biodiversity.
"We're immensely proud about doing this," says the company's owners Mike and Tim James.
"Everyone's concerned about their environmental impact, climate change and those things. Some other companies offer you the option of offsetting your carbon impact, but unlike us they want you to pay for it.
"What we're saying is hey, just use a company that will contribute on your behalf. You only come and see a windscreen company if you've got a problem, so why not go to the one that's going to contribute on your behalf and plant native trees."
Novus started recycling windscreens back in 2010, with the smashed glass being used to remanufacture glass products such as bottles. But the partnership with Trees That Count is taking things to the next level.
There are countless charities out there, but for Novus it was important to choose one that helped people to make a difference amid a crisis that can seem overwhelmingly large.
"The environment is such a huge issue that everyone thinks, 'What difference can I make?' They might think they can personally make no difference. But by supporting companies that support the environment, you can do your part," says Mike.
"We feel quite strongly about it. We think it's a cool project that everyone can get into and feel proud about the amazing job Trees That Count do."
Indeed, customers are encouraged to get right into it. You don't just have some of your money go toward this charity and never see where it goes or what happens to it.
It's set up to provide a lot more satisfaction than that.
"By coming to Novus you can donate your own native tree, you can scan the QR code and they'll send you an email saying this is your tree, this is where it's been planted. Then you can get updates on it," explains Mike.
"As people get in behind it and have a look at the Trees That Count website, it's a very interactive site that any individual can go to, have a look and see what your estimated carbon footprint is and how many native trees should be planted to offset that."
Then, of course, people can go and see the result of the charity with their own eyes.
"If you want to go for a mountain bike ride in Christchurch, you go through pine forests. There's nothing wrong with that, but how cool would it be to go through native forest?" asks Mike.
"Some of the types of trees that Trees That Count plant can last for over 2000 years, so it's something that'll be here for a long, long time, for the next 50 generations or so."
Mike and Tim's parents started Novus in 1978 and these days they own the business. It's a family-owned business rather than a corporate with 64 franchisees around New Zealand, all locally owned and operated.
Novus invented windscreen repair and keeps all its franchisees up to date with the latest technology and techniques, like ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) Recalibration.
But in addition to being known to many Kiwis for servicing their windscreens over the years, Novus is known by pretty much every Kiwi for their iconic jingle, 'Show us ya crack'.
"The recognition is huge," says Mike.
"Probably the most effective television and radio we ever made," laughs Mike. "It's a bit of fun and Kiwis get it."
Now, in a similar way, Novus hopes Kiwis get why it's so important to support Trees That Count in its mission.
"Native trees and native birds are New Zealand! If you can eradicate the pests - which people are trying to do - grow more trees, clean up the waterways by default, y'know we say 'trees' but it's shrubs and foliage and habitat, the whole nine yards," says Mike.
"It'll gather commitment from everybody as we can say well here's the first thousand trees we planted, here's where we planted them, here's who planted them, this is the ramifications of what we've done, this is how much carbon will potentially be extracted from the environment, or this is the river that will be cleaned up, this is the next project, the next lot to be planted. I think as the environment becomes more important, or more topical, if we can keep saying how we're doing our part, I think it'll just gather momentum."
Novus kicked the partnership off with a donation of around $10,000 to Trees That Count over three months.
But that's just the start. Next time you need your windscreen repaired, if you get it done at Novus you can do so knowing you're helping native trees get planted where they're needed across New Zealand.
This article was created for Novus.
