Ballarat takes next phase of tourism campaign to Melbourne’s CBD

The Victorian city of Ballarat brought its shopfront to Melbourne’s CBD – literally – with the launch of an artisan pop-up shop, in the next phase of the ‘Made of Ballarat’ campaign created by full-service agency Town Square.

The bricks-and-mortar store in Little Collins Street has opened its doors to showcase an eclectic range of high-quality products that share just one characteristic: a common provenance.

Everything for sale at the Made of Ballarat store is crafted by the city’s progressive artisans, including Kilderkin Navy Strength Gin, bespoke Parker Knives, Warren Ellis 12” vinyl, Black Cat truffles, Ruby Pilven ceramics and Salt Kitchen charcuterie.

First launched seven months ago, the Made of Ballarat campaign was born from research that identified less than 10 per cent of Melbourne’s lifestyle leaders considered the city to be an attractive destination for a short break in regional Victoria.

The retail initiative encourages Melburnians to sample all that Ballarat has to offer, with the pop-up shop hosting a series of maker demonstrations and tastings, as well as showcasing forthcoming events across the region.

Check out the promo video below:

The pop-up was made possible through a grant from the Victorian Government Regional Events and Innovation Fund, administered by Visit Victoria. Open daily from 10am to 6pm, the shop will trade until 24 April at 242 Little Collins Street, Melbourne.

Visit Ballarat CEO Noel Dempsey said: “How many shops in Melbourne show you how to fashion a wooden spoon using muscle-powered tools?

“Or sample the wine created by Gourmet Traveller’s 2018 Young Winemaker of the Year? Or purchase an original artwork from indigenous collective the Pitcha Makin Fellas?

“We are delighted to bring the Made of Ballarat pop-up shop to Melbourne.

Dempsey said the products for sale, and the events and demonstrations hosted in-store, bring a taste of Ballarat to the heart of the Melbourne CBD.

“This is all about encouraging Melbournians to re-evaluate Ballarat and realise it’s a fantastic place to visit, any time,” he said.

Town Square ECD Brendan Day said: “It may seem counterintuitive in tourism marketing to bring the destination to the audience, but the compelling retail offer at the Made of Ballarat pop-up only scratches the surface of the visitor experience, encouraging Melbourne shoppers to make the trip to Ballarat to dig deeper and see more for themselves.”

Town Square worked alongside design consultancy Moth to develop the pop-up, which will be supported by cinema and radio advertising, street posters and CBD office media.

Day added: “It’s very satisfying to see a key initiative from our original pitch presentation come to life thanks to a successful government grant application, and it’s exciting to be collaborating with Moth to give Made of Ballarat a whole new dimension.”

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