Tourism advertising is getting a shake up, with Destination NSW ditching the traditional city-sell in favour of a creative, emotion-driven campaign that invites travellers to experience Sydney not just through sights, but through feeling.
Built on deep audience insight and brought to life by local icons, the campaign is redefining destination branding for a new generation of culture-hungry explorers.
Launched under the next chapter of its “Feel New” platform, the campaign aims to challenge perceptions that Sydney is simply a city of big-ticket icons. Instead, it encourages Australians to rediscover the Harbour City through unexpected and hyper-local experiences, from rooftop bars in Western Sydney to snorkelling at sunrise and cultural bridge climbs with Indigenous guides.
Speaking to B&T, Kathryn Illy, General Manager, consumer marketing at Destination NSW, said that unique creative direction is not just a stylistic choice, it’s a strategic one.
“We found that 79% of Australian travellers had already been to Sydney and many felt they knew the city’s story, the bridge, the harbour, the beaches. And that was it,” Illy said. “Our challenge was to shift those perceptions and show a different side of Sydney they hadn’t experienced before”.
That shift is achieved through a suite of four hero films, out-of-home placements with QR codes to “shop the feeling,” a revamped Sydney.com website, and influencer activations that bring curated itineraries to life.
The campaign spans TV, radio, digital, social and immersive content channels across Victoria, Queensland and regional NSW, running until 30 August 2025.
At the heart of the campaign is a cast of six local icons, Olympian Jess Fox, comedians The Inspired Unemployed, ultramarathon runner Nedd Brockmann, musician Budjerah, chef Dan Hong and creative Lucinda “Froomes” Price, each sharing personal experiences of Sydney through bespoke itineraries.
Illy told B&T that this is a deliberate departure from big celebrity endorsements in favour of authentic, local storytelling.
“From the outset, we wanted to cut through the sea of sameness that plagues tourism advertising,” Illy said. “So we made a deliberate move away from full-bleed images and predictable messaging. The outdoor, especially, is unexpected, we wanted people to look at it and say, ‘Whoa, that’s not what I expected from Sydney.’”
The campaign reflects a deeper creative pivot. “It’s very much a step change for us in how we show up,” Illy added. “We’re tapping into the collision of nature and culture that’s unique to Sydney. You can kayak under the Harbour Bridge at sunrise, visit a rooftop bar in Penrith by night, or attend an open-air opera with the skyline behind you. No other city offers that blend”.
The marketing team has worked closely with creative and media partners Leo Burnett, OMD, FINCH, Rolla, Ogilvy, Otis and The Editors to bring the concept to life. Influencers will also help extend campaign reach by experiencing and sharing the curated itineraries, in what Destination NSW is calling a “feeling drop,” akin to the anticipation of a sneaker launch.
The target audience is clear: high-yield domestic travellers aged 25–54, identified as “new experience seekers.” These travellers are culture-driven, emotionally motivated and eager to uncover fresh experiences.
Research indicates that those who’ve engaged with the Feel New brand are more likely to book or extend trips, with brand campaigns since 2021 directly contributing more than $323 million in incremental visitor expenditure to the NSW economy.
“At the moment, Sydney ranks third in brand consideration for travel. Our goal with this campaign is to change that, to shift perceptions, inspire more people to see a different side of Sydney, and ultimately encourage them to visit, stay longer, spend more, and keep coming back.”
To achieve that, the campaign goes beyond surface-level promotion, using emotional storytelling, local voices and unique creative to reframe what Sydney means to travellers today.
“Sure, we all know Sydney for its famous harbour, Opera House and beaches. But in this latest evolution of the Feel New platform, we look beyond these icons to uncover the incredible collision of nature, culture and wellness that exists here unlike anywhere else”, Tommy Cehak, executive creative director, Leo Australia.
That sentiment is echoed by NSW Minister for Tourism Steve Kamper, who believes it’s time for Australians to move past the clichés and see the broader picture.
“Sydney was just ranked as one of Time Out’s top five global cities for culture, but when you ask Australians about Sydney they’ll say ‘I’ve already seen the Harbour Bridge’,” he said. “What is clear in the research is that our icons alone are not enough to get people to visit and revisit Sydney. We need to do a better job at showcasing all our city has to offer, we need to be more than our icon”:.
“We have the Blue Mountains, beaches, the Great Southern Reef, and vineyards all within a couple hours. We have world leading restaurants, an exciting blend of food cultures, the largest sporting events and a vibrant arts and music scene.
“We have so much to offer, which is why we are asking Australians to come to Sydney and dive deeper, explore more of what Sydney has to offer.
“There are infinite combinations of experiences on offer, and I think this campaign puts them top of mind for potential visitors.”
From playful taglines to QR-led storytelling and immersive, feeling-first media, the campaign seamlessly blends brand building with performance.
For experience-hungry travellers seeking something beyond the ordinary, Sydney is no longer just a city to tick off, it’s a destination to feel, explore and rediscover in ways they never expected.
