Christchurch Reimagined

The 2011 Christchurch earthquakes had a devastating effect on international visitors, with Australian numbers in 2011 down 43%. By 2012, tourists from the rest of the world were returning, just not Australians. We needed to let them know that it is okay to come back. The 24/7 news coverage experienced during the earthquakes meant that any time you searched for information on Christchurch you were hit with images of the devastation, as opposed to the significant rejuvenation that the city is experiencing. We had to change this by announcing Christchurch is open for business and flooding the Internet with positive images of what you will now find.  

Through online video episodes and open letters in regional press, Mayor Bob Parker, the face of Christchurch during the earthquakes, wondered what it would take to get Aussies back. His solution: move the Big Pineapple (or another Big Thing) to Christchurch. Once we had Australia's attention, it was time to introduce the big things that are constantly happening in Christchurch. The 'Discovery Stream' crowd sources and broadcasts the Christchurch tourism experience in real time online via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Bob's plea to Australia made the national news in both TV and press reaching over 2.5 million Aussies. Carnival Cruises proactively joined the campaign to extend the message reach and Jetstar confirmed passenger numbers are on the increase. There are now over 15,000 images on the Discovery Stream, over 32,000 visitors to the site and importantly google has been flooded with positive imagery.