Vivid Sydney, Kathmandu and Crown take up Instagram carousel ads

Instagram is officially rolling out its new carousel advertising offering in Australia and has signed up Destination NSW, Kathmandu and Crown Resorts as first customers.

Carousel ads were announced earlier this year and allow advertisers to include multiple images within an Instagram post as well as a link to their website that users can swipe through. They become official in Australia from 1 June, the same time as the ads go live in the UK, Canada, Germany, France and Brazil, although several have already launched.

Kathmandu marketing manager, Tim Loftus, said its Australian Carousel ad campaign was inspired by winter, and is using the hashtag, #EmbraceTheCold.

“By showcasing our stunning adventure imagery on this highly creative canvas, we seek to remind everyone that there is no such thing as ‘bad weather’ when you are wearing high quality gear,” he said in a statement.

“Kathmandu is about inspiring travel and adventure. The Instagram carousel allows us to take our audience on a real adventure, showcasing multiple images and links in one ad. The format is interactive, and allows us to tell our story in new and engaging ways. The website click-through feature provides a call to action for the audience.”

Crown Resorts chief marketing officer, Christopher Coyne, said his marketing team was growing its social media program as part of efforts to promote a new vision for the business.

“Embracing these cutting-edge opportunities means we are no longer bound by a single story and can showcase multiple truly fantastic Crown experiences that are available to our customers. #Eat #Play #Stay #Relax,” he said.

Globally, brands that have signed up to carousel ads include GMC’s panoramic interior view of the new Sierra, CeaBrasil (Brazil), Fido (Canada) and Lacoste (France).

Instagram rolled out ads on the social media platform to Australian advertisers last October. Early brands to sign up included Tourism Queensland, Ben & Jerry’s, Toyota, McDonald’s, Lenovo, Audi, and Mondelez International’s Vegemite and Philadelphia Cream Cheese brands.

Read more: Tourism NT recruits Instagram trio for new social media campaign

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