No minibar? No problem. CCIA NSW helps hotel lovers brave the wild

For Ad Nut, there is no better hotel than the great outdoors. A soft, leaf-lined bed you can rustle into under the moonlight. A ceiling of stars. The soothing sound of trickling waterfalls and chirping cicadas in surround sound. And once in a while—if the forest spirits are generous—a fallen macadamia or the juicy centre of a slightly bruised mango will arrive, unprompted, like nature’s version of room service. So yes, Ad Nut is all for the wilderness.

But Ad Nut understands not everyone is built for this kind of paradise. Some creatures—particularly those partial to fluffy robes, minibar nibbles and aggressively efficient concierge service—recoil at the idea of being left alone with nature, sans air-conditioning, turndown service, or someone to fetch them an oat milk flat white. For the comfort-inclined, camping is less a holiday and more a form of soft punishment.

Which is why WiredCo’s latest campaign for the Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW (CCIA NSW) is so delightful—and, frankly, necessary. Created to help ease hotel devotees into the unfamiliar language of the campsite, it introduces the world’s first hotel-to-camping translation service (click image below). And yes, that’s exactly as ridiculous—and useful—as it sounds.

Over 250 translations have been developed with the help of AI and seasoned campers. Your beloved minibar? That’s the Esky now. Air-con? A stiff coastal breeze. Do Not Disturb sign? A sock on the tent pole, obviously. It’s the kind of idea that sounds entirely unnecessary until you realise just how sincerely helpful it might be.

At the heart of it is also a mockumentary that follows Lachie, a delightfully unqualified 'Camping Concierge' as he helps first-timers adjust to their new natural surroundings. He’ll guide you through everything from nature’s version of air-conditioning (sea breezes), to where to find your morning coffee (a food truck near the dunes), to what room service looks like now (someone handing you a sausage in bread, ideally with onions). The tone is tongue-in-cheek, but the mission is sincere: To show a version of camping that even hotel people might enjoy.

Lachie himself is a joy—with a moustache, a wardrobe of luxury-hotel-manager-meets-surf-dude attire, and the lingering energy of a man who once appeared in a mid-'70s tourism advert and never quite left. He’s also the host of a retro-styled online course that gently teaches hotel lovers how to interpret the camping experience: Comfort, facilities, entertainment, and the many, many euphemisms that come with it.

The campaign spans social, YouTube, TikTok, earned media, print and digital, and includes the mockumentary, the online course, a functioning vocabulary guide, and signage across participating parks.

But it’s the tone that truly lands: Warm, wry, and unmistakably Australian. The ad never sneers at the audience it’s trying to reach—it welcomes them in, with a wink and just enough surrealism to make the transition from hotel to tent feel not only manageable, but actually quite fun. What could have been a dry explainer or a defensive attempt to glam up camping is, instead, a charmingly bizarre invitation. It’s playful, confident work that meets people where they are—even if where they are is poolside, wrapped in a towel, sipping from a minibar martini.

Whether or not the translation service extends beyond the campaign and becomes a real, live thing (Ad Nut strongly believes it should), the campaign does exactly what it sets out to do: Remove the fear of the unknown and replace it with curiosity, amusement, and the sudden desire to buy a torch.

CREDITS

Caravan and Camping Industry Association NSW (CCIA):
Roxane Turnball – Marketing and Communications Manager
Wayne Lange – Chief Operating Officer
Lyndel Gray – CEO

Wired Co
Joe Stuart – Creative Lead
Maria Pelosi – Designer
Leah Austin – Senior Account Manager
Jessica Nutt – Senior Account Manager Earned Media
David Kennedy – Partner
Michelle Hampton – Managing Partner
Avril Dunn – Producer
Dean Friske – Director
Matt McKenzie – Supernormal Productions
Archie Porter – Editor/Head of Post Supernormal Productions
Dale Smart - Developer

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.