Campari Australia, its media agency, Mindshare, and activation and sampling network, Blobfish International, are aiming to cut through Melbourne’s busy tourist season with the Aperol gondola experience, bringing it back to the Yarra River for the second consecutive year
Blobfish, in partnership with Melbourne-based boat company On A Boat, has wrapped 14 self-skippered boats and one skippered boat in Aperol’s signature orange, looking to to capitalise on Aperol’s reputation as a popular summer beverage while pay homaging to the aperitif’s Italian heritage.
This year, patrons can also book self-drive boats and enjoy an Aperol Spritz and pizza package, courtesy of local waterside restaurant DOC Pizza. The WTC Dock in Docklands, where On A Boat launches, has also been decked out with Aperol-branded umbrellas and seating.
Mindshare head of partnerships, Oliver Hallstrom, said: “Following the success of last year, it was a no brainer to go bigger and better in 2024. We have done just that by growing the size of the fleet and onboarding DOC as a new partner.
“This has allowed us to craft thousands of personalised brand experiences, complete with having pizza and spritz packages delivered straight to your boat, allowing Aperol to serve up summer and demonstrate their Italian heritage.”
Blobfish senior client service director, Rebecca Page, said: “The Aperol gondolas were such a huge success in 2023 – they went viral with locals and tourists all clambering for the unique ‘Italy comes to Melbourne’ experience.
“When Aperol approached us for a 2024 activation, we knew we had to again paint Melbourne orange for the summer.
“Aperol is an iconic Italian aperitif – it instantly conjures relaxed, summer elegance. We knew we wanted to reignite that feeling and to recreate the Venetian experience that brought so much joy to people last year.”
Campari group marketing director, Paolo Marinoni, added: “With all the excitement and verve of summer in Melbourne, we were excited to bring a little taste of Italy to the city.
“We’ve loved seeing the Yarra awash with Aperol’s iconic orange – it’s such a great way to tap into the Melbourne summer vibes.”
See also: Blobfish International appoints Sam Williams as campaign co-ordinator