Engine has partnered with the Ekka to launch its new integrated campaign celebrating the iconic Queensland event’s 150th year.
And, according to the agency, it was one of the more research-intensive jobs it’s ever worked on.
To help bring the campaign to life, the team went back through 150 years of Ekka memories, moments and history looking for the things generations of Queenslanders would instantly recognise.
Sounds romantic enough. But in reality it meant weeks digging through Queensland State Library archives, old newspaper footage, Courier Mail hard drives and the Ekka’s enormous CD Rom media library trying to remember the last time anyone actually used a CD Rom. Buried inside all that history was some incredible stuff.
Old black-and-white footage of cattle judging and bonnet competitions. Strawberry sundaes. Sideshow Alley. Stunt drivers. Showbags. Fireworks. Dagwood Dogs. Fairground rides that somehow passed health and safety regulations. And generations of Queenslanders all pulling the exact same facial expressions, just decades apart.
Those memories became the foundation for the entire integrated rollout across TV, radio, outdoor, press, digital, social, EDM and partner assets distributed across Queensland.
And the campaign platform, “Country Spirit, City Heart,” reflects the Ekka’s unique role bringing country and city together for 150 years.
Engine MD Tim Weger said, “Whilst it was a big responsibility, it was an absolute treat to bring a fresh creative approach for this year’s campaign in the Ekka’s 150th year.”
Engine creative director Mike Fritz said the campaign quickly became far more emotional than the team originally expected.
“The deeper we got into the archives and old footage, the more we realised this wasn’t really a campaign about an event,” said Fritz.
“It was about generations of Queenslanders sharing the exact same experiences, just in completely different decades. One minute you’re looking at a photo from the 1930s, the next you realise someone’s kid is pulling the exact same face on a ride in 1987. That’s when we knew the campaign had to feel built from memories, not just advertising.”
Alongside the campaign rollout, Engine also developed a large partner toolkit designed to help spread the campaign across Queensland communities, organisations and supporter networks.
The 2026 Ekka runs from August 8–16 at the Brisbane Showgrounds.
Credits
Engine Group – Creative Agency
Tim Weger – Managing Director
Mike Fritz – Creative Director
Joe Hawkins – Senior Creative
Megan Le-Nguyen – Studio Manager/Senior Graphic Designer
Keriana Salisbury – Graphic Designer
Franc Hafner – General Manager
Saxon Squire – Senior Account Manager
