It's something all Kiwis can "get amongst".

But it's also a dangerous supplement to New Zealand's drinking culture, depending on who you ask.

This Saturday, Kiwis all over the country will sit down with a crate and some mates to embark on an afternoon of beers.

TETSURO MITOMO/FAIRFAX NZ Liquor Land Duty Manager Hayley Veldstra prepares for Crate Day with some cruisers.

And perhaps a barbecue as well.

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* Mediaworks warns NZBlokes over copyright of beer event

While opinions on the event vary from seeing it as either a bit of fun or a serious national health problem, one thing is for sure: Beers are big business.

In a tribute to the beginning of summer, The Rock radio station are encouraging Kiwis to buy a few crates and pull out their cobwebbed garden chairs.

It's an old stunt from the station. Each year, on the first Saturday of December, the station celebrates Crate Day – and encourages its listeners to do so as well.

Although the station isn't saying anyone should drink a crate on their own – which would be 30 standard drinks, containing 300 grams of pure alcohol – marketing academics, health advisors and the police say the day promotes a toxic drinking culture.

FAIRFAX NZ The seventh annual Crate Day is this Saturday.

Alcohol Health Watch director Rebecca Williams says discussion online shows the event is used by many as an excuse to try and drink an entire crate.

"There is a bit of a trend to drink more than is necessary, then it becomes part of the culture to celebrate that, to put it up on Facebook and say you had a great time even though you probably don't remember it," she says.

This year, December 3 marks the seventh annual Crate Day.

SUPPLIED/FACEBOOK Liquorland Timaru is selling crates of Vodka Cruiser ahead of National Crate Day this year.

Radio announcer Duncan Heyde is attributed with bringing Crate Day to the masses.

He didn't come up with the idea, he says, but it was something he knew Kiwis would love. A day for Kiwis to buy a crate and drink with friends.

"Why not celebrate the start of summer and add in a bunch of things Kiwis love to do?" Heyde said.

The day was launched on The Rock as an event for everyone to celebrate. "Turns out it resonated massively with Kiwis," Heyde said, seven years later.

Since its introduction to radio, Crate Day has played a part in a 20-year-old man's coma, an array of drink-driving offences, a trashed beach and the near roasting of a miniature horse.

However, Heyde​ said none of this activity had anything to do with his day because the Crate Day commandments weren't being followed.

"If you don't follow them then you aren't celebrating National Crate Day," he said. "The commandments" forced participants to begin drinking at midday and wear stubbies.

Other "commandments" directed participants to listen to The Rock and buy its merchandise.

Crate Day's popularity led it to becoming a sought-after trademark among media companies and liquor retailers.

There have been at least four attempts by businesses to get exclusive rights to the Crate Day brand, title and associated merchandise.

Only two years after its launch on radio, Super Liquor tried and failed to attain exclusive rights to the day.

Mediaworks, the owner of The Rock, have launched three attempts to trademark Crate Day. So far, none have been successful.

University of Otago marketing professor and public policy expert Janet Hoek​ said it wasn't surprising that companies would want to get on board with Crate Day.

"They've invested a lot of time and thought into how they've marketed it," she said.

"It's all about a kind of initiation ritual for the the start of summer. . . That's how they try to integrate brands into people's lifestyles."



Rock.net.nz screenshot, 1.1.2016. Crate Day commandments next to Super Liquor advert. Rock.net.nz screenshot, 1.1.2016. Crate Day commandments next to Super Liquor advert.

Liquorland and Facebook page NZBlokes have also jumped behind Crate Day.

Liquorland continued to run Crate Day ads. However, NZBlokes was threatened with breach of copyright after discussing the day in a 2015 web show.

Mediaworks are yet to acquire the Crate Day trademark, according to the Intellectual Property Office database.

"They think, here's something that might be kind of fun to do. I think people are not aware of the extent to how they're being marketed to," Hoek​ said.

"It's really difficult to look at a promotion like this and see how it's encouraging moderate drinking," she said.

According to Hoek, the day did risk promoting excessive drinking. People would see the event as potentially encouraging binge drinking, she said.

"This is all about making alcohol a pivotal part of having a good time as I can see, some of the photos that are shown, they're not showing sober people having a good time," Hoek​ said.

In a statement, Liquorland CEO Rob Chemaly​ said the company had no link with The Rock. The company later removed its Crate Day 2016 advert from YouTube.