Latest Dunedin tourism campaign takes the scenic route

AUCKLAND, Today: Dunedin’s latest destination campaign has landed, brought to life by creative and production agency Shotover Creative—and it’s all about letting the city speak for itself.

This one takes a stripped-back approach, showcasing raw, real moments instead of fancy edits or overdone soundtracks.

“Dunedin truly is an undiscovered gem for those that are yet to experience it”, said Shotover MD, James Perry. “Whether it’s the spectacular coastline and wildlife or the vibrant culture, there’s a unique vibe to the place that visitors don’t forget so this campaign aims to give the audience a taste of that in the most authentic way possible, through simple vignettes of classic Dunedin scenes.

“When visitors enjoy these experiences for themselves there’s no clever editing, musical soundtracks or gimmicky taglines following them around, it’s just the raw essence of the experience, and that’s what we’re trying to bottle up with this campaign.”

The campaign launched this week across digital platforms in New Zealand and the Gold Coast.

“Dunedin truly is an undiscovered gem for those that are yet to experience it.” – James Perry

It includes 10 single-shot video vignettes, paired with digital display. Each one captures a different side of Dunedin—no scripts, just real scenes.

“The return of direct flights from June 2025 between the Gold Coast and Dunedin meant we needed to consider not only how this campaign would land with audiences across Aotearoa but also with our friends across the ditch.

“The simplicity of this campaign allows audiences anywhere to imagine themselves inside these beautiful Dunedin environments without the need for any inherent knowledge required to appreciate specific messaging.” said Enterprise Dunedin Destination Manager, Sian Sutton.

The campaign was filmed over two months with huge support from the Dunedin tourism community.

“We relied heavily on the great people of Dunedin to pull this one off. “Working around weather windows, permit limitations, and talent schedules can often prove troublesome to any production but from day one the Dunedin tourism community and all stakeholders across the city really stepped up to the mark and couldn’t do enough to help.

“All of the on-screen talent were either part of local amateur stage organisations or were associated with the tourism operators assisting the production but they were some of the best talent we’ve ever worked with.

It really is a testament to the city’s creative stock, the collaborative nature of the community and Enterprise Dunedin’s outstanding relationships that we were able to execute such a production using nothing but the real people of Dunedin to make it happen on both sides of the camera. The city should rightfully be proud of this one.”

CREDITS

Client: Enterprise Dunedin
Destination Manager: Sian Sutton
Digital Content Coordinator: Hayden Parsons
Marketing Officer: Katie Love

Agency/Production Company: Shotover Creative
Director/Producer: James Perry
Head of Digital & Marketing: Jason McKay Williams
Graphic Designer: George Chalmers
Marketing Coordinator: Deanna Warnock
Director of Photography: Rob Romero
Photographer: Ash Walton
Sound Operator: Ash Walton
Production Assistant: Xaden Stringer