Tourism Oz says find your true self online

Regional - Tourism Australia has rolled out a regional online campaign themed "A journey to find your true self" aimed at extending its core brand message of "Australia. Come WalkAbout".

The new micro-site targets "experienced seekers" described as open minded travellers with an interest to try something new.

DDB Hong Kong worked with LeeDDB and DDB China to roll out this campaign. The creative idea originated from LeeDDB and Dtribe. Carat was responsible for the media buy.  

The campaign kicked off in China and Korea and will run until March, while the Hong Kong campaign will roll out in May this year.

Barely a week since its launch, the Korean site already received over 170,000 hits.

Teresa Suen, assistant manager of brand& marketing North Asia for Tourism Australia, said they have created two online banners in the form of a postcard and photo-frame versions to drive web surfers to the new microsite.

Tourism Australia selected MSN, 163.com and Sohu to run the campaign in China while in Korea, banner ads are running on popular portals such as Chosun, Hankooki and DongA.

Suen said the organisation focused on introducing the five major Australian experiences: romance, adventure, nature, journey and the outback as these were found to cater best to the Chinese and Korean markets.

"The campaign is a playful interactive journey through the many wonders Australia has to explore," she said.

Users are encouraged to select their favourite seven Australian scenic photos or upload their own photos and personal notes.

"We want people to 'Go Walkabout' on the site and chronicle their unique Aussie stories, which they can then post on their blogs or share with their friends," Suen said.