Branded balls and pet treats were a highlight on set, with customers receiving complimentary goodies as part of their Santa Paws photo experience. A competition offering a year’s supply of pet food gave customers further reason to pause and remember the brand, supported by flyers included in the pet photography wallet, digital screen advertising, centre website presence, newsletter features and social amplification across QIC’s owned social channels.

The program reached an estimated 7.5m customers across Canberra Centre, Eastland, Watergardens, Pacific Werribee and Robina Town Centre, generating 923 competition entries from pet owners. Digital screens delivered over 1.4m ad plays across four centres, while the eDM campaign reached more than 280,000 recipients. Social content achieved higher-than-average engagement, contributing to increased brand recall and a 38% year-on-year rise in Santa Pet Photography customers.

The activation demonstrated a principle Brand iQ continues to prove: the most effective brand moments don’t interrupt consumer rituals—they effortlessly become part of them. For brands seeking to connect with specific communities at scale, the campaign offers a compelling blueprint for what QIC’s national centre network can deliver.