Some cities are easy to define. Melbourne? Not so much. It’s a city of beautiful contradictions – where grit meets glam, chaos meets calm, and creativity spills from every corner. So when Melburnians started sticking to their suburbs, we had to ask: how do we remind them what makes their city magic?

Enter One & Only – a content series powered by the City of Melbourne’s ‘Only in the City’ brand platform. The idea? Ask well-known locals – chefs, musicians, comedians, and creatives – to name their one must-do, must-see, can’t-live-without Melbourne experience. Think of it like a “you’re-on-death-row, which-restaurant-you-wanna-go-to” kinda vibe. A little cruel, but incredibly revealing.

This wasn’t about creating another top-10 list. It was about making things personal. Real, unscripted moments of love and loyalty for the city – told through the eyes of those who live it.

And Melburnians didn’t just watch – they reconnected. The campaign saw big shifts in sentiment and intent: more Melburnians said they planned to visit (+6.1%), were likely to recommend the city (+6.9%), and believed Melbourne offered truly unique experiences (+4.4%).

By narrowing things down to just one, we found the hearts of many. Because when it comes to Melbourne, everyone’s got a one and only – and when you find it, you see the whole city differently.