City of Melbourne
NAIDOC Week 2025
In partnership with the City of Melbourne and Aboriginal Melbourne, Little Rocket was engaged to develop a distinctive visual identity for Melbourne’s NAIDOC Week. The brief called for a contemporary design that reflected the city’s vibrancy while celebrating and championing the rich culture of First Nations Mob in Naarm.
Proud Wadawurrung artist Madi Mercer (Ghostgum) created a suite of graphic elements inspired by contour lines running through rocks, symbolising the connection of people to Country, and echoing contours from some of the earliest colonial maps of Naarm. “The land and its peoples have been erased and reshaped in ways that deserve recognition, appreciation and celebration for our continued flourishing despite it all.” Madi Mercer. Working closely with Madi, Little Rocket’s design team meticulously integrated these elements into the NAIDOC Week branding.
The result is a refreshed identity that draws on the deep interconnectedness of people, Country, and the many elements that shape NAIDOC Week.
“Working with Little Rocket on our NAIDOC Week campaign design concept was a truly collaborative and rewarding experience. From the outset, their team demonstrated a clear commitment to understanding our key objectives and values, ensuring that each stage of the creative process reflected a deep respect for the significance of the event and celebration of First Nations culture.
What stood out most was Little Rocket’s ability to actively listen and meaningfully interpret our team’s feedback. Their responsiveness and flexibility allowed us to refine the chosen concept in a way that felt both inclusive and impactful. The final result was a design that truly resonated with our audience and captured the essence of NAIDOC Week.”
Glen McClay
Senior Creative Advisor | Strategic Communications — City of Melbourne
ARTIST
Madi Mercer
Wadawurrung
About the client
Melbourne City Council is the local government body responsible for the municipality of Melbourne. The council consists of a Lord Mayor, a Deputy Lord Mayor, and nine councillors. The administration is made up of a chief executive officer, executive leadership team and about 1770 staff. Council performs many major functions and services ranging from arts and cultural programs and tourism, to urban planning, capital works and maintenance, recycling and waste management.
