Sydney-based advertising agency Host has developed an initial four-month campaign under the banner "Experience Extraordinary Western Australia" to target upscale 35-64 year olds from Australia and key overseas markets.

Tourism WA’s acting chief executive Stephanie Buckland said the aim of the new campaign was to attract consumers from Australia’s eastern seaboard and for Western Australians to discover their own State.

Key to the brand launch is an internet-based Extraordinary Taxi Ride promotion.

The "Extraordinary Taxi Ride" features a specially branded taxi undertaking a nine week journey around Western Australia, featuring 11 ‘journey legs’, showcasing major WA attractions.  Travel packages will be matched to each leg and promoted throughout the campaign. Consumers also will have the opportunity to enter a competition to be a passenger on sections of the journey where they will be joined by celebrity guests. 

Buckland said the taxi ride will see a mix of Australian and international passengers experience the best of WA, all from the back of a taxi. The journey will be broadcast using online media, radio, print and television.

Industry veteran Bernie Whewell, managing director of Broome and The Kimberley Holidays company said the concept was appealing but he wanted to see how the campaign evolves and in particular how the industry can work with the new branding.

"The launch was well done and I was pleased to see that Tourism WA appears to have put a lot of thought and research into the campaign," said Whewell. "I am happy with the concept, now I just want to see it in action."

Others contacted said a shorter web address would have been preferable and that taxi drivers in general don't enjoy the best of reputations among travellers, but added that it was early days and it would be better to assess the impact of the campaign after the initial promotion got under way.

Feedback will be measured fairly quickly with the online program.

On the web: extraordinarytaxiride.com.au <http://www.extraordinarytaxiride.com.au/?cid=twa:wacom:etr:news>