A NEW IDENTITY FOR A LANDMARK URBAN PRECINCT, WITH SOCIAL BUILT IN FROM THE OUTSET — A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND APPROACH DESIGNED TO TRANSFORM CENTRAL BLACKTOWN INTO A DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY. 

A place SHAPED BY MOVEMENT, MIGRATION AND EVERYDAY HUSTLE – blacktown is A LIVING CROSS-SECTION OF MODERN AUSTRALIA. A CITY THIS DISTINCTIVE DEMANDED A BESPOKE APPROACH TO BRANDING – BUILT AROUND BLACKTOWN AND ITS PEOPLE.

THE BRIEF

BLACKTOWN IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND FASTEST-GROWING LGA’S IN NSW, BUT ITS CURRENT ONLINE IMAGE HAS OFTEN BEEN SHAPED BY NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES.

FOR THE MAJOR NEW DEVELOPMENT BLACKTOWN QUARTER, THE CHALLENGE WAS NOT SIMPLY TO PROMOTE THE LAUNCH OF A NEW CITY CENTRE, BUT TO REINTRODUCE THE AREA IN A WAY THAT REFLECTED THE REAL ENERGY, DIVERSITY AND CULTURE OF THE COMMUNITY — AND BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY WITH IT.

OUR APPROACH

RATHER THAN RELYING ON TRADITIONAL PROPERTY MARKETING, THE STRATEGY LEVERAGED SOCIAL MEDIA TO UNCOVER THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE PRECINCT THROUGH THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.

AT THE HEART OF THE APPROACH WAS “MAIN STREET ENERGY” — A SOCIAL-FIRST CREATIVE PLATFORM CAPTURING THE PERSONALITY, SPONTANEITY AND CULTURAL MIX ALREADY PLAYING OUT ACROSS BLACKTOWN’S STREETS, SHOPS AND THE EXISTING MAIN STREET.

I LED THE CREATIVE DIRECTION AND SHAPED A SOCIAL-FIRST CONTENT STRATEGY DESIGNED TO ENGAGE BLACKTOWN’S HIGHLY ACTIVE DIGITAL AUDIENCE.

THE LAUNCH

THE COLLABORATION WITH WESTERN SYDNEY CREATOR JON-BERNARD KAIROUZ AMPLIFIED A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE, INTRODUCING BLACKTOWN QUARTER THROUGH PERSONALITY, HUMOUR AND EVERYDAY MOMENTS — REFRAMING THE SUBURB THROUGH A MORE LOVABLE LENS AND CREATING A PLATFORM THE COMMUNITY COULD MAKE ITS OWN.

THE DESIGN DIRECTION AND BRAND TOUCHPOINTS ALSO HELPED ESTABLISH “TRUE WEST” — A BRAND POSITION REFLECTING THE AUTHENTICITY, DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL CONFIDENCE OF WESTERN SYDNEY.  

laying the foundations for A FUTURE COMMUNITY PLATFORM

RATHER THAN A ONE-OFF LAUNCH, THE CAMPAIGN WAS DESIGNED AS AN EVOLVING COMMUNITY PLATFORM.

THE GROUNDWORK WAS LAID FOR #MAINSTREETENERGY — AN ONGOING PLATFORM SPOTLIGHTING THE LOCAL BUSINESSES, PERSONALITIES AND CULTURAL VOICES THAT ALREADY DEFINE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

RESULTS

FOLLOWING LAUNCH, THE COLLABORATION LEVERAGED JON-BERNARD’S ESTABLISHED AUDIENCE TO REACH A LARGE WESTERN SYDNEY COMMUNITY ONLINE. THE CONTENT SURFACED POSITIVE AND DISTINCTIVE SENTIMENT AROUND BLACKTOWN, HIGHLIGHTING THE HUMOUR, DIVERSITY AND LOCAL PRIDE THAT RARELY APPEARS IN MAINSTREAM SOCIAL NARRATIVES ABOUT THE SUBURB.

THE CAMPAIGN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS AND LOCAL STORYTELLING, ALLOWING THE MAIN STREET ENERGY PLATFORM TO BUILD AN ONGOING CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE PRECINCT AND THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES.