Tourism Whitsundays has introduced a new brand platform titled ‘Naturally Iconic’, developed in collaboration with creative agency Simple, based in Adelaide. The initiative is supported by a national media campaign orchestrated by dentsu Queensland.

The Whitsundays, often referred to as the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, is renowned for its natural attractions such as Whitehaven Beach, the Great Barrier Reef, and Heart Reef.

The new brand identity is characterised by a vibrant colour palette inspired by elements of water, mango, sand, and coral. It also features new typefaces designed to evoke a sense of luxury. The brand pillars are defined as Mainland Experiences, Island Life, Natural Icons, and Dynamic Adventures.

The campaign is strategically aimed at both interstate and intrastate travellers, utilising high-impact placements across various media channels including out-of-home, social, digital, and search media. It encompasses large-format and mobile billboards, geo-targeted placements, and dynamic executions across platforms such as Meta and TikTok, as well as high-impact display advertising.

The campaign’s objective is to convert interest into action, encouraging audiences to book travel to The Whitsundays. It is scheduled to roll out nationally across May and June, highlighting experiences like island-hopping, snorkeling, sailing, and mainland discoveries.

“The Whitsundays has always been one of Australia’s most treasured travel destinations, but we knew it was time to evolve – celebrating what makes us naturally iconic, while deepening the emotional connection with a new generation of travellers,” Tim Booth, CEO at Tourism Whitsundays, stated. “With Simple’s creative lens and dentsu Queensland’s strategic national coverage, this campaign captures our unique essence and packages it with charm, wit and a whole lot of sunshine.”

David Stocker, Managing Director at Simple, remarked, “Some places build their icons, towering monuments, glittering skylines and attractions designed to impress. But over the course of our time in the region and working with the team, we realised The Whitsundays’ icons weren’t built, they’ve always been.

“Bringing the ‘Naturally Iconic’ platform to life was about capturing the relaxed, unbuttoned charm and making it feel as unforgettable as the place itself. We’re incredibly proud to have partnered with Tourism Whitsundays to bring this together, and can’t wait for our next visit.”

Chris Ernst, Managing Director at dentsu Queensland said the team had enjoyed collaborating with Tim and the teams at Tourism Whitsundays and Simple, on this campaign “The opportunity to leverage our strategic planning capabilities and passion for the region, to activate the incredible new branding work in unique and impactful environments, was a perfect challenge for the dentsu QLD team. We’re incredibly proud of the work, excited for what lies ahead.”

Tourism Whitsundays is responsible for destination marketing and visitor attraction for the Whitsunday region.