Melbourne: Meet The Industry Champion Behind This New 'Feel-Good' Campaign

Melbourne has become the hub for a new “feel-good” initiative courtesy of a local entrepreneur. 

Joey Kellock - a festival organiser and owner of local restaurant hotspot 1800 Lasagne - has taken his grassroots campaign from a single online post to plastering the message of "Hang In There, Melbourne" across the city.

“It just started as a sentiment attached to the end of a few Insta posts really,” said Kellock of the initiative. 

“There are lots of people struggling out there, it's amazing what a few genuine positive supportive words can do for someone that might be struggling a little. It was a natural progression - make a feel-good Insta post, people feel good. Turn it into a sticker and give them away for free, people feel good. Chuck it on a bunch of billboards and a thousand posters? Hell yeah.”

The business owner, who has worked behind the scenes on the likes of Big Day Out and Download 2020 (which was ultimately cancelled due to Coronavirus fears) said that there’s not much behind the message - which will now be seen up on billboards all over the CBD and surrounds. 

"We just want to send a positive message and remind people that they aren't alone,” he stated. “It's not political, it's just purely positive and supportive and an acknowledgement that this is a hard time for many. Just some kind supportive words for everyone.”

Kellock eventually brought the idea to some of his fellow music industry pals, who jumped at the opportunity to get involved. 

"I came up with the idea, asked Todd Vanneste from Weekdays Design to help me create the design and ran it on my socials. It went from Instagram post to me getting a 1,000 stickers made and giving them away with lasagne to doing a massive poster run, which is when I approached Brian ‘BT’ Taranto (Love Police, Boogie) and James Young (Cherry Bar, Melbourne's ‘Night Mayor’) who were both immediately keen to contribute."

"I knew BT had a billboard but before I could even mention the idea of putting it up there he butted in and said this is going on the billboard, immediately. James Young then called our pal Matt Healey from GM Billboards and before the end of the day they're on a whole bunch of 20m billboards throughout the city. 

"I approached Plakkit to see if they would be interested in helping and they instantly offered to put up the posters we printed for free! iIt just feels good to help people feel good and, like, why wouldn't ya, right?"

Check out the incredible campaign via the 1800-Lasagne instagram page here