Two advertising industry leaders and The Academy of Entrepreneurs have collaborated with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) to rebrand Australia as an ‘Entrepreneurial Nation’.

As part of the Australian government’s recently announced $3 million initiative to develop a stronger nation brand, they joined forces over the course of five weeks to come up with unique ideas to contribute to the broader nation brand campaign.

Over the five-week duration, 61 students and entrepreneurs from over 40 nationalities workshopped ideas and creative concepts to rebrand Australia.

The participants were mentored by two creative industry leaders: Duncan Harriss, managing director of Limehouse Creative; and Dan Aldridge, creative director of BBC Studios Australia and HyperKid.

Students learnt branding and advertising 101, analysed what Australia has to offer as a nation and critiqued other successful global nation brand campaigns.

The entrepreneurs presented their Brand Australia proposals to Fiona De Jong, head of Australia’s nation brand at Austrade.

You can check out more of the initiative’s outcomes below:

De Jong said: “I had the opportunity to hear the top four pitches from extraordinary entrepreneurs of Australia. I was blown away by the creativity, and the expression and the imagination of these incredible young people in our country.

“Each of the ideas was executed in different ways but collectively articulated some really special attributes of this country and that’s what this whole project was about.”

Harriss said: “The nation brand initiative is one that resonates with our own industry as well as citizens, but perhaps more importantly, one that needs to be heard across the world by potential investors and talent to convince them Australia is the place to come and realise their dreams.

“We believe that Australia is the perfect place to test and launch a start-up, because we are a multicultural, young, innovative nation with a strong economy. Entrepreneurs are a key voice; a current and future demographic and the engine of Australia.