Some Maori are upset that the British Broadcasting Service"bastion of all things British"has pinched its famous traditional war dance, the haka, in a bid to re-brand itself, Wellington's Dominion newspaper reported recently.
BBC One television has ditched its trademark globe motif, a hot-air balloon bearing a red and yellow map of the world floating over British landmarks, and replaced it with a collection of dance scenes.
The re-branding project consists of segments between 10 and 15 seconds long, including one of a rugby team doing a haka in Gilfach Goch, Wales.
The camera focuses on Maori rugby player Jo Hutley then draws back revealing 14 more players dressed in red and black striped rugby shirts.
The advertisement has caused controversy in Britain, where it has been criticised for being too politically correct, and has come under fire in New Zealand from Maori who are angry at the use of the haka.
Lawyer Maui Solomon said it was ironic that the BBC, "an icon of colonialism", chose the haka to promote itself.
"Clearly it has a great deal of appeal. The world seems to be taking more and more interest in Maori culture. The Western culture, having exhausted all their own stories, are starting to mine indigenous stories for their appeal," the Dominion quoted Solomon as saying.
Solomon, who represents claimants in a Waitangi Tribunal claim over Maori intellectual property, said Maori needed to be consulted before any songs, dances, stories and other cultural property were used for commercial purposes.
However, BBC press officer Karen Rosine said three of the haka performers were Maori, as was the London rugby player who taught the group.
"He spent a lot of time talking them through the history and background of the haka and anyone who did not appreciate the cultural and spiritual significance was not included in the film," she said.
It is not the first time British advertisers and performers have raised the ire of Maori over their use of the haka.Last year, an alcohol advertisement featuring scantily clad women performing a haka was suspended after more than 100 complaints.
