Destination Southern Highlands launches new ‘Closer Than You Think’ campaign via BBR Group
Destination Southern Highlands has announced the launch of its first tourism campaign in four years, under the evocative banner “Closer Than You Think” in collaboration with Sydney-based experiential agency BBR Group Australia.
This initiative targets Sydney and Canberra with a compelling truth: a mere 90-minute drive from either capital unlocks a 2,700-square-kilometer haven of natural splendour, cultural depth, and year-round appeal, a destination too often overlooked yet impossibly close.
The Southern Highlands isn’t just a weekend fling, it’s a 365-day revelation. Beyond its famed winter mists and spring blooms, the region offers hidden waterfalls with water so pure it rivals bottled, framed by rolling green hills and sunsets free of city skylines. Seven national parks, including Morton and Budderoo, cradle less-trodden trails for adventurers, while over a dozen cellar doors pour award-winning cool-climate wines and gins that have sommeliers buzzing. Truffle hunting in cooler months, platypus and koala conservation efforts, and a thriving arts scene, think high tea in Bowral or beekeeping workshops ensure there’s always a story to uncover, no matter the season.
The campaign video, now live at www.visitsouthernhighlands.com.au is a masterstroke of subtlety and strategy, born from a groundbreaking collaboration with BBR Group Australia, creators of the beloved Bastille Festival, Xmas in July Festival in Canberra, Mov’in Bed Cinemas in Barangaroo, and Australia’s first Halloween festival, Ghost Festival.
Far from simply ticking a brief, BBR Group teamed up with Destination New South Wales and Wingecarribee Shire Council to dig deep into the region’s roots, intent on shattering outdated tourism moulds. Given the reins to lead, BBR Group delivered a video stripped of branding, and no single winery, restaurant, or attraction steals the show. Instead, it’s a cinematic whisper, with misty trails fading into vineyard glows and horse silhouettes at dawn, teasing a collective allure that positions every business in the same industry with an equal shot at discovery.
Launched alongside an exclusive media night on Wednesday, February 26, at a private location for 20 of Australia’s leading publishers and editors, it’s a bold reset that lets the Highlands’ tapestry, from truffle-scented forests to cricket-obsessed hamlets, unfold as a personal journey for every viewer.
The Southern Highlands comes alive with a community whose stories are yet to unfold, shared not in polished scripts but with the raw passion and heart of lives truly lived. Here, you’ll hear tales of humble beginnings and daring leaps of faith, not boasts of personal wins but warm nods to the mate next door or the family up the road, a quiet salute to the real, laid-back soul of the region. It’s a blend of those who’ve swapped city clamour for the stillness of rolling hills and those whose roots sink deep, families tied to this land for generations, all shaping lives rich with meaning. Among them, quiet trailblazers emerge, leaders setting the pace in Australia for sustainability and eco-friendly farming, their work a natural thread in a tapestry far bigger than any single story. Artists, farmers, or just everyday locals with a spark, their unscripted yarns weave a patchwork of resilience and warmth, all just 90 minutes from Sydney or Canberra. It’s a place where every tale carries a piece of its soul, waiting for you to listen.
“Closer Than You Think” rekindles the Southern Highlands’ enduring appeal for those who’ve lost touch and invites newcomers to explore its vibrant essence, all just 90 minutes from Sydney or Canberra.
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