A new national campaign based in Dunedin is working to redefine the perception of veterans and provide younger vets with the care they need.
The 100th poppy appeal campaign features stories from five veterans of different ages and backgrounds.
One of them is Returned and Services Association district vice-president and former Portobello police officer Lox Kellas (75), who served in Vietnam.
The group met in Dunedin to discuss their stories and needs.
Mr Kellas said the RSA campaign highlighted the wide range of veterans and how their needs were not being met.
There was a stereotype of who veterans were based on the early wars of the 1900s, but that was incorrect.
Anzac Day was about remembering everybody that served, including young people.
There were a lot of areas that needed to be addressed, such as the high number of young veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress injury, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Being part of the campaign gave him a chance to pause and reflect on his life and how he related to the younger generation of veterans, he said.
The campaign was created by Walsh and Beck Creative Agency in Dunedin.
Director Paula Hellyer said that since 1990, New Zealand had created more than 30,000 veterans under the age of 50, who had served in places such as Iraq, East Timor, Bosnia and Afghanistan.
Street appeal donations had been dropping internationally, especially among young people less likely to carry cash.
The poppy appeal traditionally relied on street donations. This year the campaign would have a heavy digital presence, which would allow it to accept donations from anywhere.
The five veterans would soon be seen on television, on posters around the city and on social media, she said.
