The extension on the end of domain names is known as a TLD or top-level domain. Starting next month .au domain names will go up for sale and today, a new national marketing campaign was launched by auDA to get everyone excited.
auDA is the policy authority and industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain, which is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Australia. It was formed in 1999 to manage the .au ccTLD with the endorsement of the Australian Government and the authority of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
Australia’s newest domain namespace, .au will allow Internet users to register domain names directly before the .au (e.g. getyour.au) for the first time from 24 March 2022.
Australia has plenty of second-level domains, also managed by the auDA, including .com.au, .id.au, .net.au and .org.au. There are also a number of restricted domains including .edu.au, reserved strictly for education organisations, while .gov.au is specifically for federal, state and local government entities.
Before you ask, yes, I would very dearly love to secure tech.au for this site, similar to Facebook dropping ‘The’, it’s cleaner and well, Australian’s are great at dropping characters off names, so any opportunity to save a few keystrokes is always inviting.
The campaign aims to raise broad awareness of its introduction through television, radio, outdoor and digital advertisements and will run from February to November 2022.
Created in collaboration with BWM isobar, the campaign highlights how two simple letters – .au – can open up a new world of possibilities through the delivery of shorter, simpler and uniquely Australian online addresses.
With the addition of “.au”, the campaign takes:
- Station – from a run-of-the-mill morning train ride to the expansive red plains of an outback Australian cattle station
- Pavlova – from a Russian ballerina to Australia’s most beloved dessert
- Gummy – from a packet of gummy lollies to a small, grey shark found around Australia’s coastline
- Stoked – from building a roaring campfire to a feeling of excitement to be at an iconic Australian beach
- Stubby – from a squat sausage dog to a hard-earned Australian lager.
By asking the question, “What will .au change for you?” the campaign encourages Australians to consider the opportunities and benefits delivered by the new namespace.
“We are thrilled to launch our .au direct campaign and raise awareness of Australia’s newest namespace.
Whether you are looking to register a new domain name or are simply sending or receiving emails or using the web, we want everyone to know that .au direct is Australia’s newest digital address.
.au direct will provide greater choice of shorter, simpler and uniquely Australian domain names and email addresses for Australian individuals, businesses and organisations as they build their digital presence.”
auDA CEO Rosemary Sinclair AM
Belinda Murray, Managing Director BWM isobar said,
“We are excited to partner with auDA on the arrival of .au direct. Seizing a moment, to be part of a more inclusive, progressive online space every Australian can confidently call home.
In order to build a simple compelling case for Australians to do so, our creative approach needed to be just that, a simple solution, that’s also the best solution.
With the addition of two simple letters, each word tells a story celebrating what makes Australia unique. Those two letters are the reason each little story turns out the way it does.”
Just more useless, expensive, unwanted domain extensions that no one wants. How many businesses do you see with .sydney or .melbourne domain names. I’ve never seen any, despite all the hype when they were released.