Zach Tuohy is probably more at home patrolling the defensive arc at GMHBA Stadium than in front of a camera.
But the Irish-born Geelong footballer has starred in the latest tourism campaign for Geelong and The Bellarine created by local marketing agency, Ruck.
Rolling out across social media, cinema and exclusive Geelong Cats channels, including the match day big screen, the advertisement makes a playful nod to Tuohy’s dilemma of not being able to show his family around his adopted hometown due to the pandemic.
Instead, it encourages Geelong locals to invite friends and family who are closer to home to visit the region.
Playing out across multiple versions of content, the campaign features the quirky star defender trying his best to enjoy some of Geelong’s best tourist offerings – alone.
“With the domestic market being our only source of visitation at the moment, the Visiting Friends and Relatives market is a critical one,” Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine executive director Brett Ince said.
“We needed a way to encourage our local community to invite their loved ones to explore the region. This partnership with the Geelong Football Club is a great way to grab the hearts and minds of locals and get them thinking about hosting visitors.”
Ruck Agency director Lach Ryan said Tuohy was the first player that came to mind when planning the video.
“Using a Cats’ player to be the face of local advertising isn’t new or different – but it works,” he said.
“As a single-team town, the Geelong community really take notice when their players are promoting something. Still, we could’ve gone with one of the more well known players like Danger or Selwood, but we wanted to have a bit more fun with it.
“Zach was the first player we thought of – and writing the script to emphasise his Irish accent was a lot of fun.”
Watch the video at youtu.be/s8ggG5AjB9s
