AUSTRALIAN TOURISM PITCH: WHERE THE BLOODY HELL WILL IT GO?
February 10 2008, 8:29 am | | 19 Comments
Tourism Australia’s highly controversial “Where the bloody hell are you?” campaign, created by M&C Saatchi, Sydney more than two years ago, appears doomed after a review of the account was announced last week. The campaign is still running in some markets (including Japan) but it is clear the government wants a whole new approach, hopefully as popular as the classic Paul Hogan ads of the 80s. With a change of federal government, chances are the business will be won by a new agency after June, when M&C’s contract will expire.
19 Comments
It would be a travesty it it stayed with the incumbent.
My pick would be Cummins. Then maybe Patts -but only out of connections – not talent.
With the Labor gov in you’re only sure pick would be your nose.
M&C don’t deserve to keep it the campaign was a bloody embarasement.
I think Goodby Silverstein would do a better job than M&C.
Just check out their Commonwealth bank ads.
6:38 you are a complete idiot
No Andy, your spelling is an embarrassment.
How can you say the campaign was an embarrassment? As I recall, it generated loads of international media attention.
How many campaigns are successful in achieving this?
Listen 9.16am, I’m getting tired of you picking me up on my spelling
it’s becoming embarrasing.
Any campaign that (a) attracts a heap of negative attention and (b) doesn’t inspire people to actually book a trip down under is clearly a failure.
In fact, I’ve heard on the grapvine that the govt is going to be apologising for foisting lara bingle’s nasal whine on the world during the sorry speech.
nice rack though. but a walking, talking example of why you shouldn’t ever give speaking roles to models.
Anything that gets Lara Bingle in a bikini gets my vote!
11:37 is another one of those fools who believes if a campaign generates media attention it must be good. They’ll love you at Goodby’s.
Well speaking as an outsider, albeit tainted with the ad bullshit brush, I thought the campaign was great. The same old picture postcard shots that every tourist spot for a country has, but it had a real OZ personality to it.
Not like the sterile 100% pure work for NZ. Or Malaysia Simple Asia.
Only Australia would could get away with saying ‘Where the bloody hell are ya’ in an ad and it worked.
She is so so hot. And I’m a chick.
Would turn for her.
So, a good ad I guess.
If we shoot 1:13 and Lara, will that be a closed shoot, with MA15 cinema release only?
2:53pm you are a smug twat.
The client got plenty of bang for their buck thanks to a campaign which sparked major international media attention.
Obviously you’d prefer a more generic campaign; shots of dimwits like you and your Mum eating a meat pie underneath that banana in Queensland, clutching a Four-ex and giving the camera the thumbs up in matching 1980s Aussie One-Day cricket shirts.
Did this campaign deserve a Lion? Nope. But it got results – people booked trips. And you can’t argue with effectiveness.
hey 9.36, the campaign didn’t get results. pretty much the opposite really. that’s why the govt is ditching it.
Let the ‘Kiwi’s’ sort it out!
Well, if it didn’t get results then I stand corrected.
Hey 9.36, the Big Banana is in NSW (Coffs Harbour) not Queensland. Time to eat some humble (meat) pie .
Well, I like the billboard which reads Bingle your car.
Trouble is, it didn’t have her phone number on it!