Why a Brand for Ballarat?
So why develop a brand for Ballarat? Ballarat is not just a place, it is a perception held in the minds of many people around the country, and the world.
By proactively creating a brand, we have the opportunity to reshape people's perceptions of Ballarat around its key strengths, maximising its ability to achieve its full potential as a vibrant community, a robust business opportunity and an attractive tourism destination.
In a heavily competitive market we are creating a fresh, new image for Ballarat that is compelling and attractive, presenting Ballarat as an outstanding place in which to live, visit, work and invest.
What the Brand Means
All brands are based on underlying values, reflect a vision and embody a sense of purpose.
Ballarat has no single geographic element or stand alone feature (like an icon event) to define it or distinguish it from many other regional cities around Australia. However what it does have is a unique combination of a potent Past, the spirit of the People, the unmatched location and size of the Place and the undoubted Potential that can be claimed by no other region.
Extensive consultations throughout the Ballarat community have revealed a clear set of characteristics and traits that help define what makes Ballarat what it is. These are best summarised as:
Proud: of Ballarat's rich heritage, its deep roots in Australian society, its independent spirit, its resilient community, its natural beauty, its infrastructure/assets and its potential for the future.
Progressive: an active, passionate and involved community confidently building on the strengths of the past and the opportunities of today to create an even better tomorrow.
Pioneering: Driven by a visionary and entrepreneurial spirit that prizes innovation, seeks opportunities, cultivates leaders, creates influence, generates expectation and delivers a unique destiny.
From this was drawn the very essence of Ballarat's appeal and point of difference. Ballarat offers a compelling combination of lifestyle and location unmatched in Australia. These two elements hold the promise of living a better life - of a community, a lifestyle and a destination where you can experience more, live more, do more and be more than anywhere else.
This is expressed in the Brand 'Come to Life', an invitation to experience, explore and achieve more. Ballarat is where history comes to life, where business comes to life, where festivals come to life and where your dreams can come to life.
Extensive external research tested and refind this Brand proposition and it proved to be both compelling and enticing.
The Visual Identity
At the heart of the visual identity is the Eureka star. It is strong, aspirational and unique to Ballarat.
The colours are similarly strong and timeless. The main logo is the blue version but there is a different colour palette for each season, promoting the fact that Ballarat enjoys four glorious seasons like few other places in Australia - a bracing winter, a vivid spring, a warm summer and a golden autumn.
All members of the Ballarat community are encouraged to show their support for the region by using the identity whereever possible. A set of guidelines for usuage and artwork- ready files are available under the brand download section of this site.
The Eight Pointed 'Eureka' Star
Ballarat is the home of Eureka, a significant event in Australia's history. Many call it the birthplace of Australian democracy. The Eureka flag is the key symbol of the rebellion, and the spirit of independence that it fostered. On the Eureka flag sit five stars assembled in a cross. What makes these stars unique to Eureka are the fact that they have eight points, not the five of a standard star symbol, or even the seven of the Commonwealth star, found on the Australian flag. The eight pointed 'Eureka' Star is a powerful and potent symbol to associate with Ballarat.
brand downloads
