Sam Hoogesteger was originally cast because of his ‘James Bond’ energy. Photo: Supplied.
Forget male models with chiselled jaws and slim silhouettes, when it comes to marketing the most glamorous shopping mall in Canberra, the star of the show is the resident handyman.
Say hello to Sam Hoogesteger, 21, carpenter and maintenance guy at Canberra Centre, the luxe mall that’s home to more than 220 brands including Chanel, Swarovski and July.
Sam’s the new face of Canberra Centre’s social media, recently starring in a series of promotional videos to encourage Gen Z to shop at the centre ahead of Christmas, music festival Spilt Milk and Summernats.
The videos, featured across Facebook and Instagram, have racked up a combined 41,000 views and 260 shares.
It all started when the Canberra Centre marketing team was looking for “a modern Gen Z male with James Bond energy” to promote the Black Friday sales in late November. They’d considered hiring a male model for the job but then … Sam walked through the marketing department. The rest is history.
“With a short timeframe to produce the video, we asked Sam, who currently works on our maintenance team and fit the brief perfectly,” says Canberra Centre marketing manager Amy Young.
“He was nervous at first, but was happy to help and jumped straight in.”
The Black Friday video performed so well that Sam was invited to film a sequel in which he went shopping with Santa Claus in early December for an outfit for Spilt Milk.
‘Sam the handyman’ is being used to target young male shoppers across the Canberra region. Photo: Facebook.
“Sam brings an authentic, light-hearted energy on camera,” Amy says.
“He’s confident without trying too hard, a little goofy, and genuinely enjoys the experience, which we think resonates with our customers.”
Sam’s third instalment involved buying “the essentials” for Summernats: a Wes Anderson-style video targeted at the tens of thousands of visitors in town for the car extravaganza.
“We think audiences loved the contrast between Summernats’ bold culture and the unexpected, whimsical aesthetic of the video, which Sam pulled off amazingly,” Amy says.
Store managers are loving the Sam vibe, but it’s Canberrans themselves who can’t get enough. While he’s copped a bit of ribbing from mates, his family and friends are loving his starring role and local audiences are too.
Sam walks punters through the Summernats essentials available at Canberra Centre. Photo: Facebook.
“Canberrans have a strong sense of civic pride, and local content really resonates,” Amy says.
“They enjoy seeing familiar places and people they recognise – whether it’s Sam doing maintenance work in the centre, picking up haircare from Yvonne at Oz Hair & Beauty, or being fitted for a suit by Chris at MJ Bale.
“Those everyday, familiar moments really hit in a way that feels uniquely Canberran.”
Instagram beauty influencer Chloe Morello (originally from Batemans Bay and with a following of more than 1 million) has posted about her obsession with the Sam videos.
But does Sam see himself “downing tools” in favour of a modelling career anytime soon?
“I’ve considered launching a TikTok account,” he laughs.
“But for now, you’ll have to tune into Canberra Centre socials to see more Sam content.”
