Aperol’s iconic orange gondola boat experience on Melbourne’s Yarra River has returned for a second year, following the huge success of the inaugural Venetian experience, in a unique activation developed by Blobfish International.
Campari Australia and its media agency Mindshare returned to Blobfish this year, keen to again leverage Aperol’s reputation as a refreshing summer drink, with a unique take-over of Melbourne during its busy tourist season. Blobfish delivered with a one-of-a-kind activation, bringing the popular Italian-inspired gondolas back to the Yarra.
Partnering with Melbourne boat company On A Boat for the branded activation, Blobfish wrapped 14 self-skippered boats and one skippered boat in Aperol’s iconic orange livery. VIP customers on the skippered boat have been treated to food and stunning Melbourne views, along with the full range of Aperol’s summer activations along the Yarra.
This year, customers are also able to book one of the self-drive boats and order an epic Aperol Spritz and pizza package in collaboration with local waterside restaurant DOC Pizza. Alternatively, guests can book one of the skippered boats and cruise the Yarra while sipping on an Aperol Spritz with friends.
The popular WTC Dock in Docklands, where On A Boat launches, has also been decked out with Aperol-branded umbrellas and seating for people to relax before their boat ride.
“The Aperol gondolas were such a huge success in 2023 – they went viral with locals and tourists all clambering for the unique ‘Italy comes to Melbourne’ experience. When Aperol approached us for a 2024 activation, we knew we had to again paint Melbourne orange for the summer,” said Blobfish senior client service director, Rebecca Page.
“Aperol is an iconic Italian aperitif – it instantly conjures relaxed, summer elegance. We knew we wanted to reignite that feeling and to recreate the Venetian experience that brought so much joy to people last year”.
“We were thrilled to work with Blobfish International and Mindshare once again on this unique and creative activation. With all the excitement and verve of summer in Melbourne, we were excited to bring a little taste of Italy to the city. We’ve loved seeing the Yarra awash with Aperol’s iconic orange – it’s such a great way to tap into the Melbourne summer vibes,” said Campari group marketing director, Paolo Marinoni.
“Following the success of last year, it was a no brainer to go bigger and better in 2024. We have done just that by growing the size of the fleet and onboarding DOC as a new partner. This has allowed us to craft thousands of personalised brand experiences, complete with having pizza & spritz packages delivered straight to your boat, allowing Aperol to serve up summer and demonstrate their Italian heritage,” said Mindshare head of partnerships, Oliver Hallstrom.
The Aperol campaign will run in Melbourne until the end of February.
