INTERVIEWS

South Australia Tourism’s Cinema Advert Award – ‘The Explorers Way’

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On the Road to Success: Australia’s Explorers Way Ad Wins Top Award
April 2015: Last year, the South Australian Tourism Commission and Tourism NT joined forces with advertising agency Orchestra to film an advert for screening in UK cinemas and online. This film has just won Advertising Campaign of the Year at the prestigious Travel Marketing Awards 2015, in the under £250,000 media spend category.
Painted-Desert-Flinders-Ranges-and-outback-South-AustraliaThe winning campaign entitled, ‘See Australia…The Explorers Way’, was delivered by London-based agency Orchestra, in response to a brief to increase awareness of journeys in Australia and position The Explorers Way – which traverses the two regions – as a must-do experience. The results of the campaign exceeded expectations with combined bookings for South Australia and the Northern Territory increasing by 32% during the campaign period.The concept, to take people on a condensed version of the journey itself, was delivered through cinemas and online. Sixty-second spots were created delivering an immersive brand experience within the atmospheric confines of a cinema. Orchestra also created a suite of digital assets using rich media and in-banner films to create standout and engagement online.Official-photo-accepting-award“We couldn’t be happier with this award.” said Janice Kurrle, Marketing Director, UK & Ireland, South Australian Tourism Commission. “This is a fantastic accolade for the work and effort involved in bringing such a great journey, the Explorers Way, to UK screens. We always look to energise each of our marketing activities and to receive recognition and exceed our booking targets is a testament to the success of this campaign’.Meanwhile, Dan Statham, Managing Director of Orchestra said: “Orchestra is absolutely delighted to have collected this prestigious award for our collaboration with the South Australian Tourism Commission and Tourism NT. The enthusiasm within the team manifested itself in the finished work, resulting in a campaign that surpassed all our expectations. With so much to see, the experience of filming The Explorers Way was a visceral one, a voyage of discovery and the chance to experience ‘the real Australia’. I would urge anyone with an adventurous spirit to experience it for themselves, camera in hand.”

Set up to honour the most original ideas and best performing advertising, marketing and digital campaigns over the past year, the Awards were announced at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London in March 2015. Now in its seventh year, The Travel Marketing Awards has evolved into one of the most credible events in the travel industry calendar. The event is organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Travel Group (CIM Travel Group).

The Explorers Way bisects the Australian continent between Adelaide in the south, to Darwin in the north. It covers over 3,000 kilometres and follows the Overland Telegraph route blazed in the 1860s by explorer John McDouall Stuart.

The winning ad can be seen here.

For South Australia, this is yet another prestigious accolade to add to their already awards laden mantelpiece. Last November their “Barossa, Be Consumed’ ad won the coveted “World’s Best Tourism Film of 2014” at the International Committee of Tourism Film Awards in Vienna. 

2014 World Travel With Bridge