With a surf culture that impresses year-round, Billabong hit the South Coast of NSW for the photoshoot of their Winter 2020 campaign (to be released May 2020). Using the SOUL of Gerringong as their base, the Billabong team embedded themselves into the local lifestyle, bouncing between Gerringong, Berry and Gerroa, capturing the perfect shot to highlight their fashion range.

Stephanie Hendrickson, Billabong’s Australian Marketing Manager, sat down with us to talk fashion, photoshoots and SOUL of Gerringong.

What can all us Billabong fans look forward to with upcoming season trends?

Waiting on some more copy from Billabong head of design.

Why did you choose the SOUL of Gerringong for your accommodation?

A friend who used to work at the local Gerringong surf store Natural Necessity, and also at Billabong, is from Gerringong. I contacted her and asked for some recommendations, and she didn’t hesitate to recommend SOUL. Once we saw SOUL’s Instagram feed, we knew it was the perfect base for our shoot. Coincidentally our Photographer Steve Baccon also recommended SOUL and was super complimentary of the property and its owners.

What makes a property an ideal location for a photoshoot?

Utopia for us is when we can stay at a property and also use it as the location for some of our shots. SOUL was perfect. We also have a mixed-gender team, so it’s ideal if there are separate bedroom are as and bathrooms. At SOUL there was a bedroom and private bathroom for each of our crew. We loved the character of SOUL, and it was so centrally located; it just made the shoot so comfortable and hassle-free.

How do you discover the locations for photoshoots?

It varies really. Sometimes it’s bucket list destinations like the Maldives or Mexico, other times we’re looking for more of a grassroots feel. We like to shoot in authentic surf locations, so we chat to our broader brand team, and everyone usually throws some ideas into the hat. We then think about the season and the look and feel we’re after, the budget, and the time of year-surf conditions and if the weather will suit the season we’re shooting for. The surf didn’t really cooperate in Gerringong when we were there so we’ll be back later in the year to capture some more surf content.

What was the favourite part of your stay at the SOUL of Gerringong?

The fireplace…it really is the soul of SOUL. Usually, we would eat out each night, but on this shoot, we had dinner at home each night and spent time chatting by the fire. It was the perfect way to relax and debrief as well as plan for the next day. It was so much easier and more intimate staying in a property like SOUL, rather than a hotel. It was the perfect balance of professionalism and cosy charm.

Your tips to others visiting Gerringong?

Eat
We ate breakfast each day at Gerringong Deli and Café, the food was incredible, and the service super fast and professional. It had a great atmosphere too. We ordered in pizza from Zoobs Woodfired Pizza, together with a nice bottle of red it was the perfect way to enjoy SOUL.

On our second night, we ordered Thai from Noys Thai Restaurant in town. It was a short walk to pick it up and again lovely to eat in around the beautiful dining table at SOUL with the fire going. There is also a well-equipped IGA in town. We stocked up on fresh fruit, cheese, crackers and snacks to see us through the day.

Beaches
In walking distance of SOUL is Werri Beach. There’s a beautiful grassy headland with a magnificent view, there’s also a classic ocean bath, a signature of New South Wales beaches. One town over in the quaint village of Gerroa is 7 Mile Beach. It’s beautiful, and while we didn’t get great surf, we could tell there were several decent banks along that stretch.

To Do
Berry is full of charm. We visited the Berry Sourdough Bakery and Café and had the most delicious soup for lunch. There is also the cutest shop next door called The Picnic Shed.

Crooked River Winery and Two Figs Winery are both quite close to Gerringong, and they are a great way to spend the afternoon if you’re on holidays. For work…well, it wasn’t on our agenda, but we did visit to see if they were suitable for our shoot. I will definitely add them to my holiday itinerary when I come back.