A distinctly ‘Melbourne’ pop-up experience is at the heart of a new campaign by the City of Melbourne Council to encourage visitors to the city.
The ‘Only in the City’ campaign showcases Melbourne’s cultural fabric – food, fashion, retail, art and entertainment in the city.
Council said the $4 million integrated marketing campaign will be rolled out across multiple channels.
“Only in the City is the sum of all of the unique parts that make Melbourne the most liveable city in Australia – where people travel from all corners of the globe to experience,” said Lord Mayor, Sally Capp.
“Melbourne has a magnetism that comes from our top-tier hospitality, retail and entertainment industries. We want to celebrate those experiences, because they only happen here in the city.”
To mark the launch of Only in the City, a pop-up event will showcase all that makes Melbourne, Melbourne, the Lord Mayor said.
The Supermelbourne activation will transform three shopfronts in the iconic Howey Place into a one-of-a-kind experience from Saturday 22 October until Wednesday 26 October.
“We know experience-based campaigns generate a significant windfall for traders and retailers – and the thousands of jobs they support. Since the beginning of the year, our FOMO campaign attracted almost 350,000 visitors to the city – spending up to $16 million each month.”
“We’re inviting Melburnians and visitors to revel in all that we love about our city first-hand at Supermelbourne this weekend,” said Lord Mayor Capp.
Attendees will navigate through an array of quintessentially Melbourne experiences – from spectacular food and drinks, live entertainment and an immersive underground art, music and light installation, she said.
The family-friendly event program will showcase a vibrant cross-section of the city’s local creatives, chefs, artists, baristas and more, including:
- Scott Pickett x The Alley Edition – pairing the city’s rich coffee culture with Chancery Lane’s iconic macaron
- Serai x Byrdi – dishing up fire Filipino canapes and a signature Supermelbourne cocktail
- DREZ x Kit Webster x George Rose – pushing the boundaries of street art with a fully immersive street, light and sound underground art installation
- Pjenné x J Nett – celebrating Melbourne’s thriving music industry with two DJs on the decks
- Oslo Davis x Kip & Co – apparel designed by a cartoonist and illustrator.
City visitors contributed more than $6.74 billion to the local economy last year, creating almost 86,000 jobs and continuing Melbourne’s sustained economic bounce back, Council said in a statement.
It’s hoped the new campaign will drive further visitation, create more jobs, increase spending and grow the economy, in line with Council’s ambitious Economic Development Strategy 2031.
“One of the most significant things we can do as a Council now is bringing people to the city. Only in the City will promote the city experiences, food and shopping that you can’t find anywhere else in Victoria,” said City Activation portfolio lead Councillor, Roshena Campbell.
“We’re teaming up with the city’s most exciting talent to attract visitors to Melbourne by celebrating what we do best – from the biggest events to our world-class hospitality, fashion, arts and culture.”
Supermelbourne is a free event, but weekend experiences are limited. To find out more, visit What’s On Melbourne. For more information about the Only in the City campaign, visit the City of Melbourne website.
