13 campaigns that made Aruga merry in 2021

As we sprint/limp towards the end of the year, Aruga is celebrating the campaigns that made us merry in 2021. From worthy causes to product launches, festivals fuelling FOMO to unsung heroes, Aruga has worked on a sleigh-full of exciting campaigns with stellar clients this year.

While some team members think this exercise is akin to choosing their favourite child, others were happy to hark and herald the campaigns they loved. Peep our ‘nice’ list below and get clicking to unwrap more amazing highlights.

MELT: Festival of Queer Arts & Culture

We got our full-face beat on to play cheerleader for MELT: Festival of Queer Arts & Culture for the third year running. It was a highlight for Aruga Account Manager Anna, who loved celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and promoting visibility and inclusivity in Brisbane.

The University of Queensland Business, Economics & Law Faculty

We translated UQ BEL Faculty’s academic insights into a series of written pieces that not only made a real-world impact but also made a huge impression on our team. PR Campaigns Director Nat noted the diverse scope from advertorials to opinion editorials, while Director of Content Bel adored the opportunity to sink her teeth into some meaty features.

Soils for Science

An Australian-first initiative of The University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the Soils for Science program unearthed the citizen scientist across the Aruga Content team. Director of Content Bel dug deep to write a huge array of content from blogs to fact sheets, researcher profiles to explainers for kids, uncovering a love for this interesting topic.

Curiocity Brisbane

Aruga’s full complement of services was on display for our third outing with Curiocity Brisbane, delivering content, design, social media and public relations. This campaign was a clear standout at the nexus of major events, arts and tourism – a few of Senior Account Manager Beth’s favourite things – and delivered tenfold results on previous years.

Opera Queensland

Forever hitting the high notes, Opera Queensland is one of our favourite retainer clients. With a song in their heart and their eyes on the prize, Senior Account Manager Beth and Account Coordinator Julia nailed the always-on brief, achieving record-breaking coverage, shattering KPIs and spreading OQ love across the state in their wake.

The Gathering

It wasn’t just the hairy coos (OK, maybe it was a little bit about the highland cattle) that made The Gathering Celtic festival one of our fave campaigns. Aruga Founder Adam notes that this was the little campaign that could, a small-budget PR and social media campaign that paid huge dividends; smashing ticketing sales and paid social expectations.

Brisbane Festival

Bringing Brisbane to the main stage is no small feat – and we’ve done it four times! Every year we’ve upped the ante to help deliver sensational results, pivoting and pirouetting in 2021 to deliver a Brightly Brisbane Festival with a whopping triple-digit increase in earned media coverage nationally, notes Aruga PR Campaigns Director Nat.

Orange Sky The Sudsy Challenge

Our Australia and New Zealand teams donned an orange tee for Orange Sky’s The Sudsy Challenge 2021 to spark awareness of homelessness and fundraise for those doing it tough. Who wore it best? Senior Account Manager Jai reckons Team Aruga benefits most. “As much as I love a good show and a cocktail, I love working on purposeful PR that makes a difference,” she says.

Brisbane Comedy Festival

Who doesn’t love a laff? When comedy’s crème de la crème came to town, we were there to promote a lol-worthy lineup of local comic talent. Account Manager Anna says despite the many COVID-19 restrictions and a surprise lockdown winding up the event early, we achieved amazing results for Brisbane Comedy Festival 2021.

 Halcyon

For three years, we’ve been in envy of the idyllic lifestyle at Halcyon’s over-50 communities. We already feel like part of the furniture. Account Coordinator Jasmine says chatting with homeowners, developing relationships and writing and promoting their inspiring human interest stories has been a highlight this year.

Brisbane Powerhouse 21^st birthday

Our longtime friends at Brisbane Powerhouse achieved a milestone anniversary in May, turning 21 and turning on a celebration for the ages. Account Manager Claudia relished the opportunity to uncover and promote all the weird, wacky and wonderful stories from the iconic building’s past for a special campaign, plus the chance to consume cake.

IMAGINARIA Brisbane

Yes, IMAGINARIA Brisbane made for a seriously ‘grammable moment but that’s not the reason it made our highlights reel. Account Manager Claudia notes the integrated campaign allowed Aruga to flex our skills across PR and marketing, wrangling story opportunities and ensuring Brisbane’s who’s who made it through the inflatable doors in 2021.

EDQ Northshore

When EDQ Northshore partnered with Brisbane Festival 2021, we saw ‘Big Things’ for this celeb coupling. Account Executive Rylee loved working on this campaign that tapped into an interest for major events with a competition and appointment of two ambassadors, reaching a new audience for EDQ Northshore and adding 1,200 Instagram followers.