PANDER TO PLAYGROUND

WHEN it comes to visitor branding campaigns, New Zealand’s 100 per cent pure push is unrivalled.

That gem stood the test of time and summed up whatever you wanted it to about that country.

Some would criticise it later when pointing out certain aspects of NZ that were not 100 per cent pure from an environmental perspective.

And while the 100 per cent pure moniker played up the country’s supposed clean, green credentials, it was more about whatever experience you were having being a 100 per cent pure NZ one.

This city’s recent try-hard ‘We are Destination Gold Coast’ campaign was never in that league.

It was a misguided attempt at trying to showcase an evolving Gold Coast, it’s credentials for decent cuisine, great coffee and an unrivalled lifestyle.

None of that is disputed. The food and wine offering, the evolution of the city social hubs, particularly along the length of the coastline now, and its coffee culture has never been better.

But this was a dramatic departure from the formerly ‘Famous for fun’ tagline that some city leaders seem hellbent on moving away from along with beige-washing from the GC’s history some of its more gaudy and bold aspects such as Meter Maids, the Pink Poodle accommodation landmark and other oh-so-very-GC highlights.

Departing Village Roadshow Graham Burke – who panned the previous ad campaign for making the Gold Coast look “so bland it might as well be Hobart” – would have been breathing a sigh of relief that Destination Gold Coast has returned to playing to the city’s strengths.

Mr Burke last night happily let the Gold Coast Bulletin know he was glad to see the back of ‘We are Destination Gold Coast’ and embraced the new ‘Australia’s playground’ catchphrase of the latest campaign

“This is absolutely brilliant and it shows a massive point of difference for the Gold Coast from NSW, Western Australia and Victoria,” he said.

“I think those states will look at it with great envy so they can eat their hearts out,” he says in today’s paper.

Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista is herself acknowledging the new campaign unashamedly plays to the city’s strengths.

“People traditionally think of the Gold Coast’s competitors as other beach destinations but we know that when people are considering whether to come here they also think of Melbourne and Sydney too,” she said.

“This is just the first step and we have sensational offerings which cannot be equalled in Australia or the rest of the world.”

The new campaign will also be well received by the city’s theme parks who were not feeling the love with respect to the previous promotion.

A nationwide promotional booklet gave them a scant reference, which helped spark the ire of Mr Burke at the time.

This place is an enviable place to live and there is no questioning that.

But when it comes to visitor marketing, showcasing the Gold Coast as Australia’s playground couldn’t sum it up better.