Brand agency US+US has created a new brand positioning, identity and campaign platform for Ballarat, Victoria’s largest inland city.
In a project two years in the making, working closely with Tourism Midwest Victoria, US+US began with an audit of existing strategic and creative assets. This was followed by a period of research and consultation.
The process uncovered key challenges for the region around the entrenched visitor and local attitudes and revealed untapped insights about the city.
“Destinations need to create brands that truly reflect their unique character. Ballarat has been pigeon-holed as a gold rush town, but it’s so much more – a progressive, self-assured city embracing its distinctiveness, diversity, and eclectic nature. A brand was needed to reflect today’s Ballarat, something all Ballaratians can get behind,” said US+US strategy director and partner Jim Ritchie.
The new brand platform, “Brilliantly Unexpected,” brings the idea of contrasts and contradictions to life, highlighting four key pillars of the Ballarat brand: First Peoples, people and place (185+ years of post-settlement), creative energy, and signature experiences.
“From the start, we set out to create a vibrant and dynamic identity for Ballarat that embodies the positively unexpected experiences the region offers. Ballarat’s inherent contradictions are front and centre in the wordmark with the two Ls contrasting against each other and forming a distinctive device that flows through the entire identity,” said US+US design director and partner Tom Hutcheon.
“It’s been hugely rewarding to work with Tourism Midwest Victoria’s marketing team and local stakeholders to develop an expansive and integrated brand framework that supports the visual and verbal identity. This approach has enabled us to create and maintain a consistent brand narrative across all facets of the brand, marketing and creative initiatives,” Ritchie added.
“The ‘Brilliantly Unexpected’ brand platform and new identity truly highlight our region’s distinct essence and personality. At every step, US+US has stayed true to the vision, ensuring our brand platform is as distinctive and compelling as the people and places it represents. We believe ‘Brilliantly Unexpected’ will perfectly position us as Victoria’s leading regional destination. We can’t wait to share this with the world,” said Tourism Midwest Victoria chair John Pandazopoulos.
