Hamilton Island (@HamiltonIsland) has today announced the ambassadors for its global social media campaign, the Ultimate InstaMeet, which is taking place on the Island this month from 23 – 25 November.
Named Hamilton Island’s Pilgramers, Instagramers on a pilgrimage, the high profile list includes Australian fashion model Annabella Barber (@annabellabarber), designer Camilla Freeman (@camillafreemantopper & @camillaandmarc), global style arbiter and Vogue Senior Fashion Editor Christine Centenera (@centenera & @vogueaustralia), fashion designer Josh Goot (@josh_goot), Masterchef contestant, writer & foodie Hayden Quinn (@hayden_quinn), stylist & luxury fashion blogger Romy Frydman (@stylemeromy), The Voice contestant & singer Sarah De Bono (@sarahdebono) and Geelong Cats' Jimmy Bartel (@jrb03).
Joining the ambassadors are two hand-picked Australian Instagramers, Lauren Bath (@laurenepbath_ih) from the Gold Coast and Pauly Vella (@paulyvella) from Sydney’s North West, plus five lucky competition winners including Hay’s Julie Hill (@tilly_jak), Sydney’s Nicolas Alexander (@nicolasalexander), and the Gold Coast’s Garry Norris (@13juju) and Jewels Lynch (@_oneperfectday_).
The American competition winner, L.A.’s Chris Vallejos (@chrisvallejos), will also be flown to the Island for the Ultimate InstaMeet with the Pilgramers (@Pilgramers), who are the inspiration behind the campaign. The Pilgramers spent their summer travelling from city to city across America, exploring and invoking community through Instagram. They made such an impact in America that Instagram HQ invited them to make a video about themselves for the first ever Instagram #OnTheCouch video series.
Over 3,000 images were entered into the Ultimate InstaMeet’s competition, and Sophie Baker, Hamilton Island’s Senior Communications Manager, said the calibre was exceptionally high. ‘We were blown away by the amount of creative and inspiring images submitted by Australian and American Instagramers, including an entry by Cole Rise (@colerise), creator of Instagram’s ‘Rise’ filter and designer of the Instagram logo, who will also be visiting the Island next year.’
‘Over the course of the weekend, our Pilgramers will capture the beauty and unique location of Hamilton Island in an authentic and unguarded way — replete with tasteful filters, of course. Instagram creates a certain intimacy to places that people can’t be. These images will then be shared across the globe, connecting with a socially savvy audience and people who love to travel and explore,’ Ms Baker said.
With a combined reach of over 775,000 Instagram followers alone, the group will also be linking their Island escapade Instagram images to their other social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest and Tumblr, reaching well over 1million fans, friends and followers. Additional ambassadors are also still to be announced.
During the Ultimate InstaMeet, Hamilton Island’s Pilgramers will visit world-famous Whitehaven Beach, enjoy sunset cocktails on One Tree Hill, cuddle a koala, walk up Passage Peak to view incredible 360degree views of the Whitsunday Islands, and indulge in award-winning cuisine.
To see all the Ultimate InstaMeet snaps, follow @HamiltonIsland on Instagram, or ‘Like’ Hamilton Island on Facebook.
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Notes to editors: Hamilton Island is located off the Queensland coast of Australia, within the Whitsunday Islands at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Here visitors can experience everything that is great about Australia – natural landscapes, calm turquoise waters, secluded beaches, beautiful weather, fascinating coral reefs, diverse flora and fauna. Hamilton Island offers a wide range of accommodation options, not to mention over 60 activities and all within a short direct flight from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Cairns. There are also great connections from other Australian cities.
www.hamiltonisland.com.au www.facebook.com/hamiltonisland Media contacts and image library: www.hamiltonisland.com.au/media-centre/ Sophie Baker, Senior Communications Manager
e:
sbaker@hamiltonisland.com.au t: +61 (0)427 109 503
Michelle Crowshaw, Trade Communications Manager
e:
mcrowshaw@hamiltonisland.com.au t: +61 (0)417 065 173
Our Instagramers, and their thoughts...
Lauren Bath, 31yrs, Gold Coast
Chef, aspiring photographer
‘Being selected to participate in the Hamilton Island Ultimate Instameet is an incomparable feeling. Aside from being able to photograph Australia's most beautiful island destination, I feel like I am a part of something big. Social media marketing and Instagram is changing the world.’
Paul Vella, 22yrs, Hawkesbury
Air conditioning mechanic
‘I have always loved photography, so when I discovered Instagram it quickly became an outlet for me to pursue my passion further. Instagram allows me to capture a moment anywhere I am and share that moment with people from all over the world in an instant. The photos of other Instagrammers are also a constant inspiration to try new photography techniques and to visit new places that I see in their photos. I love Instagram not only because it allows me to make people happy with the photos I take, but also because with Instagram I can see the world from something that I hold in my pocket.
Julie Hill, 40yrs, Hay
Environmental scientist turned silversmith
‘I'm a mountain bred city girl who lives in an isolated country community and dreams of the beach. I spend my days in a vintage caravan creating jewellery laced with love, a loyal black kelpie by my side. I share my life and adventures with my wonderful husband and two awesome boys, all of them amazingly patient as I jump from the car for that one perfect shot.’
Garry Norris, 32yrs, Gold Coast
Chef
‘I have been using Instagram for over a year as a creative outlet and to explore my love of photography. The thing I love the most about Instagram is the ability to interact with people from all over the world and to travel through the photos my friends share, it’s like having a million pen pals in your pocket.’
Jewels Lynch, 37yrs, Gold Coast
Full time Mum
‘I’m mad about Instagram because I love, love, love taking pics and I love the people I get to share them with in such an easy, wonderful way.’
Nicolas Alexander, 35yrs, Sydney
Events Producer
‘I am so excited to be a part of the InstaMeet on Hamilton Island. For some time I have wanted to experience Hamilton Island for myself and this, for me, is the perfect way to see the Island. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing how everyone will interpret their visit and share the Instagram photos of Hamilton Island with the world. Hopefully we will be swapping a few Instatricks whilst we are there.’
Chris Vallejos, 34yrs, L.A.
Digital Product Designer
‘I always need to be working on some creative project, and Instagram is a way for me to do that through making images. What really makes Instagram so unique, and what I love about it, is the community of people. I’m inspired everyday when I look through my feed and see the art people are posting.’