Tuesday 29 August 2006

Wellington Takes the Lead in the ‘What’s On’ Campaign

Wellington has become the first New Zealand city to ever run a television based campaign in Australia.

The commercial went to air on screens in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne at the start of this week. Presented by Petra Bagust, the advert invites Australians to cross the ditch and experience those things the city is most famous for; a vibrant downtown area, a variety of entertainment, amazing food and wine experiences and a strong arts and cultural offering.

The 15 second advert is part of Tourism New Zealand’s new ‘What’s On’ campaign, launched earlier this month, which takes a new approach to marketing the country as a visitor destination. One of its main objectives is to reposition New Zealand regionally in the mind of Australians and inject an energy and vibrancy into the brand.

“We’ve been saying for years that Australia is Wellington’s most important visitor market,” says Positively Wellington Tourism CEO Tim Cossar. “Now we are putting our money where our mouth is, and exploring the opportunities for growth that it offers. This campaign forms our largest ever drive into the market.”

Minister of Tourism Damien O’Connor congratulated Positively Wellington Tourism for being the first region to be showcased on Australian television as part of the ‘What’s On’ campaign. “It’s fantastic to see Wellington being so quick out of the blocks in capitalising on this exciting new campaign.”

Tourism New Zealand CEO George Hickton says promoting New Zealand’s variety of distinctly different regions is what underpins the ‘What’s On’ campaign. “Wellington has seized upon a unique opportunity to tell Australians about what a great place it is to visit. Their campaign will not only help give the capital higher profile in Australia, it will also add to the overall promotion of New Zealand in this market.”

Tim Cossar says, “While Wellington’s profile is certainly growing in Australia, our research shows that Australians still have an outdated view of Wellington. Our challenge is to position Wellington as a perfect short break destination, and we believe our involvement in the ‘What’s On’ campaign will be instrumental to achieving this.”

The past two years has seen an increase in the number of Australians visiting Wellington. Australians now account for 1 in 3 international visitors to the city, with on average 380 more Australians visiting each week compared with 2003.
Tim Cossar says the dynamic style of the new campaign is perfect for Wellington, which constantly hosts major events and exhibitions, all of which add to its reputation of being a vibrant and sophisticated city.

The campaign has received extensive backing from partners, who have contributed a total of $350,000. The partners are Wellington International Airport, Interislander, Air New Zealand, Te Papa and local authorities that form the greater Wellington region. The total value of Wellington’s campaign is $650,000.

The advert runs in Australia until 10 September. It will be supported by online marketing and specific Wellington travel packages.

To view the Wellington advertisement visit: www.WellingtonNZ.com/Australia

ENDS

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