Square puts local businesses in the spotlight in first ever major Australian campaign featuring Naomi Watts, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Fanning

Square has today launched its new brand campaign, “See You in the Neighbourhood”, created by Square’s internal creative team, led by Executive Creative Director Sean Conroy. The new campaign celebrates the sellers shaping neighbourhood life across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – featuring Naomi Watts, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Fanning.

 

Rooted in the belief that when local businesses thrive, so do the communities around them, the integrated payments and point of sale brand celebrates the Square sellers who have become neighbourhood fixtures in the campaign: the cafés, restaurants, bakeries, bars and shops that are the gathering places of Australian local life – where people connect, find culture, and feel at home.

Running across TV, radio, digital, social and out-of-home in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the campaign features Watts, Ricciardo and Fanning – each spotlighting the local businesses they love in their home cities – alongside more than 100 Square sellers across all three cities. Together, they represent Square’s deep commitment to helping sellers grow, while staying connected in the communities they serve.

“Square serves an extraordinary breadth of sellers – and what unites every one of them is their role as a neighbourhood connector,” says Stacey Lowther, Marketing Lead, Square Australia. “Their restaurants, cafés, bakeries and bars are where people gather, connect and feel at home. By helping those businesses thrive, we help their neighbourhoods thrive.”

Square’s campaign goes directly into the neighbourhoods where its sellers live and work, featuring businesses that are cultural touchstones and local legends alike – deeply woven into the fabric of their communities. The campaign rolls out across three tiers from July through August.

At launch, hero placements across TVC, OOH, social and digital feature three of Australia’s most beloved public figures alongside a seller in their city: Naomi Watts alongside Bakery on Glenayr in Sydney; Daniel Ricciardo and local favourite Leonard’s House of Love in Melbourne; and Mick Fanning visiting Pasture & Co on the Gold Coast. Each was chosen for their authentic connection to their city and its neighbourhood life.

Through August, the campaign spotlights local neighbourhood favourites across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – including Firedoor, AP Bakery and Fishbowl in Sydney; France Soir, Baker Bleu and Tarts Anon in Melbourne; and The Green Edge, Nodo and Manly Boathouse in Brisbane. Each receives dedicated OOH placements, radio, social content and professional photography, co-posted with full paid amplification entirely funded by Square. For an independent local business, that level of visibility is simply not achievable alone.

The campaign’s final tier extends to more than 120 additional sellers, with hyper-local OOH placements celebrating Square businesses within their own specific neighbourhoods across the eastern seaboard.

Square’s own research confirms what its sellers already know: Australians aren’t just choosing local – they’re building their lives around it. Square’s Neighbourhood Nation research (2025) and Local Economy Report (2026) reveal that 54% of Australians feel more connected to their neighbourhood than five years ago, while 73% of monthly dining spend goes to local venues. Square’s transaction data shows repeat customer loyalty is measurably higher in suburban venues than in the CBD – and rising.

Says Lowther: “This campaign signals externally what Square has been quietly building towards for over a decade – giving every seller, regardless of their size, the tools they need to grow, thrive, and become a neighbourhood favourite.”

“See You in the Neighbourhood” was produced entirely in Australia – Australian talent, crew, locations and sellers. Media buying was handled by AlchemyOne, production by Entropico and Mirae Creative, and photography by Declan Blackall.

Says Lowther: “This campaign is designed to help sellers feel seen, supported and celebrated. Whether you’re running a single shopfront or building across cities, you’re creating something that matters to the people around you – and Square is here to help you do it.”

See You in the Neighbourhood is live from 6 July across TVC, radio, OOH, digital and social.

 

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