WA Tourism launches latest chapter of ‘Walking On A Dream’
"Otherworldly": Tourism WA reveals new iteration of its "Walking On A Dream" tagline
Tourism Western Australia has unveiled the next iteration of its “Walking On A Dream” campaign, part of a push to grow annual visitor spend to $25 billion by 2033.
Quietly released over the weekend, the new commercial reimagines Empire of the Sun’s iconic track, pairing it with a series of cinematic visuals focused on the capturing state’s beauty and creative spirit.
The video offers an “ethereal” reinterpretation of the song, overseen by Perth‑raised Empire of the Sun frontman Luke Steele and performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra alongside Karajarri artist Billy‑Jo Shoveller.
Locations featured include Ningaloo Reef, Margaret River vineyards, Rottnest Island, Zebedee Springs, Mirima National Park and Perth.
As part of the reveal, Tourism WA also went behind the scenes to show how the song was reworked, incorporating the concept of “murmuration”, a term usually used to describe birds flocking together as a single entity.
“Walking On A Dream continues to celebrate Aboriginal culture, and that every part of the natural world is connected,” Tourism WA director of brand and creative Angela Raso said in the explainer.
“When you allow yourself to connect to Western Australia’s landscapes, the land calls you to deepen your connection and experience.”
The campaign was developed by WPP-owned The Brand Agency, which in 2024 secured a five-year, $16 million contract as Tourism WA’s agency of record.
Speaking about the new ad’s use of music, The Brand Agency copywriter Alida Henson said: “The original Walking On A Dream, was quite stylised.
“But Walking On A Dream 2.0 is ‘magical realism,’ it feels like it could almost be possible. It starts with our couple connecting to the land and Country. And then Country responds by calling them to immerse themselves in Western Australia’s natural wonders; it’s a conversation.”
According to Tourism WA, the new video will be promoted across 13 markets, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Singapore, China and Australia.
“The campaign spans a diverse range of destinations, from coastal attractions and forests to ancient wilderness and Perth’s vibrant inner-city lifestyle,” Tourism WA said in an online announcement.
Tourism WA first unveiled Walking On A Dream as its brand positioning in 2022, highlighting the state’s “otherworldly beauty, which will leave you questioning whether it is real or a dream. Perhaps it is a bit of both.”
Since then, the tourism body has rolled out numerous videos, outdoor and digital content, as well as traditional media, showcasing WA’s “dreamline” landscapes and drawing on Aboriginal mythology, including stories of The Dreaming.
According to its most recent annual report, Tourism WA spent nearly $36 million on advertising and promotions in the financial year, of which $29.6 million went directly to promotional campaigns for the state.
These efforts, alongside the new brand positioning, were described by the government as “central to WA’s tourism recovery” following its lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Tourism WA, 1.024 million overseas visitors arrived in the state in the year ending October 2025, a 17% year‑on‑year increase that surpasses the previous record set in 2019.
However, last year, Tourism WA was criticised by the state Premier Roger Cook for using an east coast-based director and production company for the campaign’s new iteration, although The Brand Agency is based in Perth.
“We know that in WA we’ve got some great production crews, and I’m sure that work could have been undertaken in Western Australia,” he said, according to the ABC.
As such, Tourism WA has now emphasised that the refreshed campaign was produced by a predominantly Western Australian creative team and developed in consultation with the Aboriginal tourism sector and Traditional Owners of the filming locations.
