During my first trip in Albany I caught two taxis. Neither journey lasted more than 15 minutes. In the first I had to fight tears as the driver spoke of spreading his late wives ashes. She always wanted to travel Australia he said, so the gusty winds as he released her made sure she’d see it all in spirit. 

In the second, I laughed as a I learned eleven names—one for each of the drivers children. He himself was one of nine, so it seemed only natural he should have so many, he said. 

All that to say the people of Albany are pretty special. 

They offered far more compelling reasons to visit Albany 2026, the town's bicentenary year, than I ever could. It felt only natural they be the ones inviting the rest of Australia down to visit. And invite they did: creating the fully integrated ‘See you soon’ campaign. Every face on screen, voice and piece of handwriting belongs to a real local, most of whom had never been in front of a camera before. The film introduces the people behind the invitations. Outdoor shares their handwritten invitations and reasons to visit. The same invitations were direct mailed to influencers, complete with a handprinted campaign stamp. Radio hands the microphone to voices that had never been heard on air before. 

The result is quite possibly the largest invitation Australia has ever seen. Not from a tourism board, a production company or a cast of actors, but from the people who make Albany what it is.