Image by Stephanie Gilmore, Nikon Brand Ambassador

Australia – 19 October 2020 – New research from Nikon Australia has uncovered Australians’ desire to be more creative. The report highlights that 84% of Australians have a strong desire to be more creative and imaginative, but many have been hampered by their ‘time-poor’ lifestyle with more than 8 million Australians revealing that time is their enemy in pursuing new passion projects or leisure interests.

With additional time at home, many Australians have been left short of options for holidays and entertainment, calling for the classic ‘staycation’ to be reinvented. Nikon Australia’s research has illustrated a new phenomenon that Australians are rapidly embracing – enter the ‘Playcation’.

The Nikon Playcation Study*, developed in partnership with YouGov, has highlighted how Australians are exploring ways to satisfy their creative urge at home, and six in ten have revealed their desire to get creative is simply to make them happier. One third of Victorians (32%) say the lockdown has given them more time to be creative and four in ten (42%) say that being creative helps them deal with the stress and anxiety.

The research found 2.4 million Australians have taken to photography during lockdown, claiming they have been taking more photos than they did previously. Australians are now taking an average of 6.2 photos per week, equating to 324 photos every year, while one in four Aussies are taking more than 500 photos per year. New South Wales residents are the biggest photo lovers, taking an average 343 photos per year while Western Australians are not so ‘snap-happy’, taking an average of 271 photos per year, lower than all other states.

With travel options restricted, Australians have been embracing their own local surrounds, with nature being the most popular category photographed. South Australians have interestingly been taking more photos of their pets than children (41%), since restrictions came into place this year, and Victorians, who have faced the most severe lockdown restrictions impacting their ability to go outside, are the most likely to be taking photos of their food (31%).

Meanwhile, the report also revealed Australians are getting creative around events with more than a third of people who were invited to a birthday party saying the birthday parties and graduations still went ahead with a ‘twist’ to comply with restrictions, while one in ten (10%) who’d planned a holiday still took the ‘holiday’, which was modified based on the current environment and compliance with restrictions.

Following the results of the study, Nikon Australia has launched the Nikon Playcation Competition in an effort to encourage Australians to turn their homes and local holiday destinations from a ‘Staycation’ to a ‘Playcation’ and embrace their creative side through the lens of photography. The most unique and inspiring stories will have the opportunity to win Nikon prizes, with first prize receiving a Z 6II with the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens, second receiving the new Z 5 with the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens, and third taking home a Z 50 with the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens.

Nikon Australia is also collaborating with seven-time World Surfing Champion and Nikon Brand Ambassador, Stephanie Gilmore to bring Nikon Playcation to life. The postponement of her international touring schedule has given Stephanie time to explore her creativity beyond the waves right from the comfort of her hometown, Tweed Heads in Northern New South Wales.

Stephanie Gilmore, Nikon Brand Ambassador shares, “I love working on my surfing and my craft, and these past few months have given me the space to explore new skills and photography techniques. The Nikon Playcation Competition has unlocked a new way of developing an image or video and I’ve really embraced the opportunity to freely create outside of the box content for my entry.”

John Young, General Manager, Marketing for Nikon Australia, commented: “In such a transformative year, we’ve seen Australians take on a new appreciation for their local communities and self-expression. By embracing our everyday surroundings and looking at them in a new light, we are doing what we all love to do, even when we are pressed for time, which is letting our imagination run wild.

“And what better way to capture the imagination of Australians than by tapping into photography with our research showing many people finding and using it as an outlet to navigate through this period. For those who have yet to turn their Staycation into a Playcation, now is as good a time as any with summer just around the corner so join us and have some fun!”

For more information on Nikon Australia and the Nikon Playcation Competition, visit www.mynikonlife.com.au/Playcation  

NIKON PLAYCATION KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Two in three (65%) of Australians aged 18—55 years are interested in learning more about photography and videography to make the most of the world when restrictions ease.
• Almost one in five (18%) Australians 18-55 years, the equivalent of 2.4 million people, claim they have taken more photos/videos during lockdown.
• In a typical week during restrictions, Australians 18-55 years take 6.2 photos on average, equating to 324 photos every year, while one in four Aussies are taking 10 or more photos a week, the equivalent of more than 500 photos per year.
• NSW residents are the biggest photo lovers, taking an average 343 photos per year while Western Australians are not so ‘snap-happy’, taking an average of 271 photos per year, lower than all other states.
• Two thirds (67%) of Australians aged 18 to 55, the equivalent of 8.8 million people, said that before restrictions, they wanted to explore a new interest or passion project but could never find the time, with more than one in five (23%) strongly agreeing in this regard.
• The majority (84%) of Australians 18-55 years admit they would like to play with their imagination more/ would like to be more creative during lockdown.
• For those seeking to get more creative, 60% revealed their reason for doing so, is simply to make them happier, while for 45% it was to relieve boredom.
• One third of Victorians (32%) say the lockdown has given them more time to be creative and four in ten (42%) say that being creative helps them deal with the stress and anxiety.
• The study also highlighted that 10am is the start of the ultimate ‘power hour’ for Australians, heralding as the most common time they feel most creative with 10.01am being the most creative minute of the entire day.

The ‘Nikon Australia Playcation Study’ was designed to understand how Australians were turning to creativity and photography during the lockdown periods in Australia. This study was conducted online by YouGov between 3-7 September 2020, with the sample comprising a nationally representative sample of 1,048 Australians aged 18 to 55 years. Following the completion of interviewing, the data was weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.
 

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