Gumtree celebrates 10 years with TV campaign via Naked and newly launched website via Pollen

Gumtree is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Australia with a bold campaign via Naked, and rebrand via Pollen which includes a modern new look website with improved site functionality.

Gumtree’s new brand identity now matches the innovation and development that has been going on behind the scenes over the last decade.

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This fresh identity is encapsulated in the new brand proposition: ‘This is Gumtree. Australia’s local marketplace.’

This proposition has been brought to life on an epic scale in a campaign that focuses on how trading and marketplaces form the heart of communities around the world.

Says Jon Burden, executive creative director, Naked: “People have come together at marketplaces to trade for millennia. It’s human nature. I love the idea that what truly sits at the heart of an online marketplace like Gumtree is something so fundamental and powerful. It gave us a great opportunity to tell the real story behind a much-loved brand.”

The new logo and design was created via Pollen with Gumtree’s vibrant community in mind and coincides with enhancements to the user experience, including enhanced interface speed and simplified process for buyers and sellers, 24/7 support, and a new payment option.

Says Brett Mitchell, director, Pollen: “We are proud of our long term relationship with Gumtree. In close collaboration with the team there, we have been designing the primary platform for over six years. Whilst we’ve enjoyed helping to evolve the brand into the vibrant community marketplace it is today, there comes a point when you’ve pushed the green and pastel yellow pixels to their limits and it’s time to move on.”

Pollen’s focus was on developing a truly digital first brand presence, with accessibility and adaptability at the core. According to Pollen CD Ross Gales, digital brands live in a dynamic environment so Pollen took the opportunity to consider the motion aspects of the brand as a key ingredient to creating an engaging online and mobile experience.

Says Gales: “Gumtree is more than a logo; it’s a thriving marketplace that connects people, so it all comes back to the user experience. The brand needs to speak to people in the right way so we worked closely with Gumtree’s copy team to ensure it was tonally hitting the right notes — from the welcome messages for new users through to the system generated emails. The brand now communicates to its users in a consistent and personalised way.”

The Australian rebrand takes the brand confidently into the new era whilst still remaining true to its roots, maintaining the focus on community.

Says James Walmsley, senior marketing manager, Gumtree Australia: “Pollen was the ideal partner to help develop an updated version of Gumtree Australia, to coincide with our 10th birthday. This is the most significant step in our history and we’ll continue to work closely with Pollen to ensure a consistent and smooth rollout as we continue to evolve and grow.”

The 10th anniversary has been chosen as the perfect moment to reflect on the brand’s successes, whilst looking to the future. Gumtree already has one of the top shopping apps in Australia, and is a top 20 digital destination. The rebrand is now set to drive the company’s ambition to become a top 10 digital destination, and Australia’s favourite place to buy, sell and find almost anything.

Says Walmsley: “As with all changes we make at Gumtree, the rebrand has been driven by user feedback, to improve their experience on our site and in our community.”

The rebrand is being supported with a multi-channel marketing campaign across TV, outdoor & digital, as well as a consumer PR campaign to showcase the stories behind the transactions. Jason Dundas, the X-Factor and Getaway host, teamed up with Gumtree to embark on a road trip around Australia, interviewing some of the local marketplace’s most compelling Gumtree buyers and sellers and heroing some of the unique ways Gumtree has had an impact on people’s lives.

Designed to shine a light on the wealth of human stories behind every transaction, Dundas produced six individual short films featuring participating ‘Gummies’ – a.k.a. Gumtree users.  The ‘Gummies’ include a couple who posted a listing for guests to attend their wedding, an NRL captain who decked out his whole house from Gumtree and a woman who claims Gumtree saved her life.

View the ‘Buyers and Sellers of Gumtree’ films

Design Agency: Pollen