Winner (Originality) - 2025 Place Brand Impact Story AwardsLittle Tasmanian
In a world where place branding often focuses on attracting investment and visitors, Little Tasmanian offers something refreshingly different: nurturing identity, pride, and confidence from birth. Led by Brand Tasmania, it’s more than a programme—it’s a heartfelt welcome, a message of inclusion, and a quiet revolution in how Tasmanians grow up seeing themselves and their future. Someone just like you did it—and you can too.
A Place-Based Response to Local Challenges
Tasmania has long been defined by its natural beauty, but behind the scenery lie persistent challenges—low literacy rates, reduced school completion, and underemployment among young people. Through extensive community listening, Brand Tasmania identified an opportunity to respond early and meaningfully. Instead of another education or health campaign, they created Little Tasmanian—a place story in a bag, delivered into every home with a newborn from January 2023.
The bag includes a cotton onesie, a Tasmanian-themed board book, a playmat (from July 2024), a fridge magnet set with key messages for the first 1,000 days, and a voucher for a library card. More than 7,000 bags have already been distributed, supporting families, reinforcing identity, and planting the seeds of confidence in a generation growing up Tasmanian.
Nurturing Culture and Confidence
At the heart of Little Tasmanian is storytelling. The books—available in 27 languages and Auslan, and read aloud by local artists—tell stories of overcoming adversity and building community. Launch events across Hobart and Launceston attracted hundreds, featuring multilingual readings, local music, and food trucks, reflecting Tasmania’s inclusive spirit.
The digital home, littletasmanian.com.au, amplifies these stories, reaching nearly 2 million social media impressions and 22,800+ website visits in under 18 months.
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Key Achievements & Impact
Targeted UNSDGs: Goal 3 (Good Health & Well-being), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
🍼 A Welcoming Start for Every Family
- 11,000 Little Tasmanian library bags distributed
- 6,200 library cards issued
- 3 million social media impressions and 99,000+ engagements
- Board book available in 27 languages, plus video interpretation
🌱 Pride & Confidence Through Local Storytelling
- Stories designed to reflect Tasmania’s culture and values
- Real families sharing their parenting journey and aspirations
- Launch events at full capacity, with 1,000+ attendees
🤝 Collaboration and Adaptability
- Iterative design of bag contents based on parent and expert feedback
- Establishment of the Little Tasmanian Action Group for ongoing co-creation
- Replacement of onesie with playmat promoting health and development
What the Experts Say...
The Little Tasmanian initiative captured the imagination of the judges in the 2025 Place Brand Impact Story Awards for its originality, emotional depth, and strong community orientation. Several experts highlighted how the project recognises the value of small, meaningful steps—like gifting a book or a library card—in shaping a much bigger picture of belonging, identity, and inclusion.
What makes this project stand out is how it ties place branding to the next generation, inviting community groups, parents, and care providers to take part in a shared story. It’s not just branding—it’s creating a lasting bond between people and place, starting from birth. Experts called it “a very creative and unique approach” and “a long-term investment in pride and confidence,” one that will take years—perhaps decades—to fully reveal its impact.
While some noted that measuring the effectiveness of such a project will be a challenge, most agreed that its power lies precisely in this long view. It shows what can happen when a place brand is rooted in real values and delivered with care.
Tasmania, as one judge put it, is “in a category of its own” when it comes to rallying stakeholders and building internal pride. Little Tasmanian is just one example—but a powerful one—of how this quiet leadership can inspire both at home and globally.
Behind the Scenes
Curious what Jess Radford, Acting CEO of Brand Tasmania, and her team are doing to build pride, identity, and belonging across the island? Little Tasmanian is just one of the innovative campaigns they’ve launched to connect people with place in meaningful ways—starting from day one. Learn more about their values-driven approach to place branding in our podcast episode and Tasmania Spotlight.
Follow Brand Tasmania Online
Congratulations to 'Little Tasmanian' by Brand Tasmania on being named Winner: Originality in the 2025 Place Brand Impact Story Awards. Tasmania was also one of the few places worldwide selected for inclusion in the 2025 Place Brand Leaders Yearbook, further showcasing its impact and innovation in place branding.
Our thanks to Brand Tasmania and Jess Radford for sharing insights and resources supporting this showcase.
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