'Plan D': Dunedin hopes fresh look marketing campaign will draw tourists

It's hoped the new slogan will entice people to visit Dunedin, despite it not being their first destination of choice. File photo / Supplied

Dunedin has unveiled its new slogan to try to entice Kiwis to venture down south - but it's a little underwhelming.

"Dunedin, A Pretty Good Plan D" is a nod to the fact that the southern city may not be people's first choice of destination, the city council's marketing arm says.

The self-deprecating slogan was launched by Enterprise Dunedin, which describes the new marketing campaign as "intriguing" and "high impact".

It could be argued it's an improvement on past slogan iterations - including "I am Dunedin" and "Dunedin: It's all right here" (which looks fine until you say it out loud).

"We are conscious that Kiwis had to cancel their international travel plans this year and many would have been heading to 'bucket list' locations and activities overseas," Enterprise Dunedin director John Christie said.

"Dunedin may not have been their first choice, but it is 'a pretty good Plan D' and can offer alternatives comparable to those found in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US."

The campaign's first focus will be on people living within a 4-5 hour drive of the city - those in Canterbury and the south of the South Island.

It will then expand to Wellington and Auckland.

Before Covid-19 the domestic market was Dunedin's largest, accounting for $527 million in the year to March, Christie said.

"For the many Dunedin businesses that rely on tourism, the current economic downturn makes attracting New Zealand visitors to the city over the next six to eight months crucial to their survival."

He said the compact city had plenty of destinations that international tourists raved about and he hoped Kiwis' perceptions would be changed by the video campaign. It's also encouraging Dunedinites to visit local attractions with a new app offering special offers and promo deals.

John Christie, director of Enterprise Dunedin, says the city may not be everyone's first choice of destination. Photo / Supplied

NZ's worst town slogans? You be the judge

New Zealand's towns and cities have a history of hit-and-miss marketing slogans, some of them unofficial. They include:

• Ashburton - Whatever it takes

• Wairoa - The Way NZ Used to Be

• Featherston - If you lived here, you'd be home by now

• Timaru - Touch, taste, feel

• Foxton - The Fox Town of New Zealand

• Stop and taste Te Puke

• Matamata: 'You matter in Matamata'

• Gore - A little bit wild, a little bit out there

• Hamilton - More than you Expect, which replaced "Hamilton, Where it's happening"

• Dannevirke - Take a Liking to a Viking

• Porirua - P-town (Mayor Nick Leggett insisted on using the moniker for several years but it was never made official)

• Right up my Hutt Valley

• Tempt me Tauranga