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Reptile Rascals

Client
North Rocks Shopping Centre / Artarmon HomeHQ
strategy

Experience-led marketing

Family visitation

identity

Campaign branding
Creative development

experience

Live entertainment
Interactive learning

activation

Event management
Digital integration
Content production

Situation

School holiday campaigns can often fall into the trap of being either educational or entertaining and usually only for the kids. We wanted to create something that delivered more. Reptile Rascals was developed around a fascination that spans generations. Whether it's dinosaurs, reptiles, crocodiles, snakes or creepy crawlies, there's something about these creatures that captures attention from both kids and adults alike. The challenge was to transform that interest into a centre-wide experience that would drive visitation, increase dwell time and create positive memories associated with the centre.

Focus

Create an immersive school holiday experience that combines live encounters, entertainment and hands-on activities. The objective wasn't simply to bring people into the centre. It was to keep them engaged, encourage exploration and create moments families would genuinely remember.

The Approach

Rather than building a campaign around a single attraction, we created a complete ecosystem of experiences that gave visitors multiple reasons to participate.

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At the heart of the activation was a live reptile experience featuring trained zoo keepers and animal handlers. Visitors could get up close to reptiles, insects and creatures they would rarely encounter in everyday life. From holding lizards and petting turtles through to meeting baby crocodiles and handling pythons, the experience delivered genuine interaction rather than passive observation.

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Alongside the reptile encounters, visitors could come face-to-face with roaming dinosaurs brought to life by highly skilled puppeteers. From baby Leaellynasaura cradled in handlers' arms to juvenile dinosaurs roaming the centre and giant predators towering over crowds, the realism created moments that stopped people in their tracks.

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The activation combined education, entertainment and theatre in a way that appealed equally to children and adults.

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Extending the Experience

To keep families engaged for longer, the activation was supported by a series of hands-on workshops and digital experiences.

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Activities included:

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  • Dinosaur dig and discover workshops
  • Fossil excavation activities
  • Puppet-making workshops
  • Interactive craft experiences
  • Augmented reality dinosaur hunts through the MyHQ App

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These elements encouraged repeat participation while extending the experience beyond a single interaction. The result was an activation that rewarded exploration and gave families multiple touch-points throughout the centre.

The Execution

VCLA Media delivered the campaigns end-to-end.

This included:

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  • Campaign concept development
  • Brand identity and creative design
  • Event planning and programming
  • Talent sourcing and management
  • Workshop management and bookings
  • Landing page development
  • Digital advertising
  • Social media marketing
  • On-site event management
  • Photography and videography
  • Content production

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Outcome

Reptile Rascals delivered exactly what great shopping centre activations should.

Families received an experience worth talking about. Retailers benefited from increased visitation and extended dwell time. The centre strengthened its position as a destination that offers more than shopping alone. Most importantly, it created memorable moments that people associated directly with the centre. Entertainment is what visitors came for. Foot traffic is what retailers received. Positive experiences are what the centre retained long after the dinosaurs packed up and went home.
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