Toyota has used an image of war hero Willie Apiata in a social media post about duck hunting.
The Victoria Cross holder is standing in the bush holding a rifle and standing in front of a Toyota Hilux.
The tweet said, "Safe and happy hunting this weekend! #NZProven #WillieApiata #Hilux."
A Toyota spokesman said the firm gained permission to use the photo and had worked with Mr Apiata in the past.
It was not part of a marketing campaign, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a memorial to New Zealand's 16 Victoria Cross recipients during World War I has been unveiled at Parliament.
The memorial plaque was presented to the House three months ago by the British Government and will be placed near the Cenotaph in Wellington.
In a ceremony in the Beehive yesterday, British High Commissioner Jonathan Sinclair said the plaque was a symbol of the "enormous respect and admiration that the UK has for the people of New Zealand".
Parliament's Speaker, David Carter, said the memorial was "another timely reminder of the sacrifices made by so many New Zealanders 100 years ago".
"These 16 men were ordinary New Zealanders who in unimaginable conditions served their country with great courage and honour."
The Victoria Cross medal and ribbon is the military's top award, and is granted for the "most conspicuous gallantry, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour, self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy or of belligerents".
As Mr Apiata, the only living Victoria Cross holder, read the list of the 16 VC winners before the plaque was unveiled, his voice choked with emotion.
Among the names inscribed on it was Wellingtonian Samuel Forsyth, part of the 2nd Auckland Battalion. Forsyth showed "dashing leadership and total disregard of danger", his citation said, while his company attempted to capture the French village of Grevillers in August 1918.
- additional reporting NZME.
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