Townsville Destination Commercial
A SIMPLE STORY WITH AN EXTREME TWIST
This is the story about how a creative campaign supported Townsville Enterprise to deliver record-breaking results.
“For anyone who wants to find creative approaches to marketing and engage audiences with outstanding results, we recommend discussing your goals with Paul Finn.”
Bridget Woods, Director of Tourism and Events at Townsville Enterprise.
CHALLENGING BACKDROP – TOWNSVILLE’S SLUMP IN 2016
By 2016, Townsville’s tourism sector was struggling. Official figures showed a sharp downturn in visitation and spending: overnight visitor expenditure declined by ~13.9% to $744.9 million, with the largest drop in the “visiting friends and relatives” segment down 29.4%. In total, only about 1.1 million people visited Townsville during that period, reflecting a significant decline.
Townsville Enterprise Limited (TEL) – the regional tourism and economic development body – acknowledged these figures were “disappointing but not unexpected” and warned that Cairns (with its Great Barrier Reef drawcard) was outperforming Townsville in attracting visitors. Clearly, Townsville needed a creative way to rejuvenate its image and draw tourists back.
2017 – STRATEGY, STORYTELLING & RECOVERY
In late 2016, Paul Finn, a Townsville local and founder of Finn Consulting Australia (later Staunch Digital), was brought in to devise and deliver a creative solution.
A storyteller and strategist, Paul is known for bringing diverse stakeholders together around a common vision and executing creative campaigns with measurable results.
He quickly diagnosed the problem:
- Firstly, there’s no differentiation… every tourism ad along the East Coast of Australia shows the same format. A couple wandering through a destination, shopping at the markets, eating food and doing random things with upbeat music.
- Secondly, no major hook… Townsville Enterprise were great at implementing campaigns, but didn’t have a creative hook to pull people in. They needed something to spearhead their campaign, to make everything more effective.
As Paul explained: “Townsville has so much to offer, but everything has been filmed and photographed before. We’ve all seen it all. To cut through, we need to show it in a way that stops people scrolling and makes them want to come here. We need a new way to show the same thing.”
His solution was a unifying story that connected the region’s key cultural, sporting, and economic assets under one engaging narrative — one that would cut through noise, inspire social sharing and tagging, and motivate action.
- View the Original Proposal and Storyboard – Link to Proposal and Storyboard
This enabled Townsville Enterprise to distribute the rest of the campaign with greater efficiency. It effectively hooked people in and positioned Townsville as a destination for adventure and events.
THE CAMPAIGN – “A STUNTMAN, THE BEST LOCATIONS & EVENTS”
Launched in February 2017, the campaign centred on a high-energy video featuring professional stunt cyclist Borys Zagrocki, performing tricks across Townsville’s landmarks, festivals, and events.
“The best thing about creating this campaign was seeing my imagination come to life,” said Paul. “It gave people a reason to talk about Townsville again.”
- Source: Finn Consulting Facebook
The video seamlessly weaved together Townsville’s unique events, featuring personalities like Johnathan Thurston and the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys, along with stunning scenery, to position the city as a vibrant and adventurous destination.
Patricia O’Callaghan reflected at the launch:
“It is so great to see so many people here today to officially launch the 2017 Townsville North Queensland events calendar. This is a cutting-edge new destination and marketing campaign. The proudest part of it is that we have used 100% local suppliers — a really proud day for Townsville, North Queensland, and a really great day for Townsville Enterprise to promote this special place we call home.”
- Source: Townsville Enterprise Facebook
The campaign quickly gained momentum:
- The campaign spearheaded the promotional efforts nationally.
- Widespread social media engagement.
- Renewed national awareness of Townsville as a destination.
- Source: Townsville Enterprise Facebook
MEASURABLE IMPACT – TOURISM REBOUND IN 2017
The 2017 campaign delivered tangible results. Tourism indicators began trending upward in 2017, reversing the previous slump. According to Tourism Research Australia data, Townsville welcomed about 1.133 million visitors, up 3.4% from the prior year (after several years of decline).
“There are signs the market is recovering, with a 10.4% year-on-year increase in passenger movements at Townsville Airport in August 2017.” Bridget Woods, Director of Tourism and Events at Townsville Enterprise.
2018 – RECORD BREAKING RESULTS
By 2018, the results exceeded expectations:
- Townsville welcomed a record 1.378M domestic overnight visitors, a 30% increase over 2017.
- Visitor spending surged to approximately $893M, reversing years of decline.
- International visitation grew to 147,000, up 7% from the previous year.
- Townsville Airport recorded its busiest month ever in July 2018.
- Source: TSV – Townsville Airport
Growth accelerated further by late 2018: domestic tourism surged, with the Townsville Bulletin posting the largest increase in visitor numbers of any Queensland region that year.
Local media called the turnaround a “national success story”, noting that while other regions saw stagnation, Townsville surged ahead. Townsville Enterprise directly attributes the success to the campaign efforts.
WHY THIS CAMPAIGN SUCCEEDED
- A single, unifying story for the region.
- Authentic representation of local culture, pride, and events.
- Creative concept that cut through clutter and inspired engagement.
- Effective alignment of diverse stakeholders under a clear, shared vision.
As Townsville Enterprise itself concluded: “The missing link.”
KEY STAKEHOLDERS & PARTNERS
This campaign succeeded because of collaboration across an extraordinary coalition of stakeholders.
- Councils & Regional Authorities
- Townsville City Council
- Hinchinbrook Shire Council
- Burdekin Shire Council
- Charters Towers Regional Council
- Creative & Production
- Paul Finn (Creative Strategist & Project Lead)
- Bluekino (Local production company)
- Natasha Mulhall (Photography and Videography)
- Campaign Talent
- Borys Zagrocki (Professional stunt cyclist, campaign star)
- Cultural & Sporting Organisations
- Johnathan Thurston (NRL legend, ambassador)
- North Queensland Toyota Cowboys (NRL team)
- Red Bull Holden Racing Team (Motorsport)
- PBR Australia (Professional Bull Riders)
- Australian Festival of Chamber Music (International cultural event)
- Dancenorth (Contemporary dance company)
- Townsville Fashion Festival (Fashion & lifestyle)
- Townsville Yacht Club (Sailing & leisure)
- Texas Longhorn Wagon Tours & Safaris (Outback tourism)
- Tourism Organisation
- Townsville Enterprise (Client, campaign sponsor, regional marketing)
- Tourism and Events Queensland (Campaign sponsor)
SUPPORT FROM KEY ORGANISATIONS – TOWNSVILLE AIRPORT & MORE
Townsville Enterprise (TEL) coordinated and led the campaign, leveraging funding and support from major stakeholders. Townsville Airport (operated by Queensland Airports Ltd) was a particularly important partner.
Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), the state’s tourism body, provided matching funds and marketing expertise, ensuring the campaign reached target markets in southern Australia. And local tourism operators collaborated by creating special packages and experiences ready to sell to incoming visitors.
In short, this was a united effort: Townsville Enterprise and its partners (from Townsville Airport to local tour companies) all rallied behind the campaign, amplifying its reach through their channels.
Townsville’s 2017 tourism campaign is now seen as a turning point – taking the city from one of its worst tourism slumps in 2016.
The extreme bicycle stunts video, in particular, remains a memorable symbol of Townsville’s “up for the unexpected” spirit, proving that with creative marketing, a region can truly turn its worst economic statistics into record-breaking ones.
