LEO BURNETT OUT TO MAKE TASMANIA ‘BIGGER THAN AUSTRALIA’
Earlier in the year, Tourism Australia invited the whole industry to get on-board the launch of Baz Luhrman’s Australia and develop activities to support and complement Tourism Australia’s own marketing efforts around the movie.
Titled “Bigger than Australia”, the campaign for Tourism Tasmania came from the thought that if Australia could have a movie, why not Tasmania?
“Bigger than Australia” is launching in the same fashion as a movie premiere, in newspapers, on television, in theatres and on the web: www.tasmaniathemovie.com. As audiences line up in theatres to see Australia, they are being greeted by posters for ‘Tasmania The Movie’ and then once in their seats by a spoof trailer.
The microsite has all the features of a typical film launch, including director’s commentary, trailers, galleries and how to visit Tasmania. Since going live on Monday the campaign has already picked up lots of mainstream media coverage on the Today Show, SMH, The Australian, the LA Times, in various publications in the UK and many more around the world.
Agency: Leo Burnett Sydney
Client: Tourism Tasmania
Executive Creative Directors: Jay Benjamin and Andy DiLallo
Creative Team: Rupert Taylor, Dave Ladd, Corey Young, Andres Fabian
Online Team: Jonathon Mo, Kieran Ots, Tip Gloria
Account Management: Peter Fitzhardinge, Jodi McLeod, Annabelle Morris
Strategy: Kirsty Angus
Production: Patrick Fileti, Rita Gagliardi, Dominic Locher
42 Comments
Nice idea, but why the stock-looking footage of people?
You just killed the idea, people.
Baaad.
Nice map.
Um, I think it’s a pisstake Mark.
Brilliant idea to jump on the back of the giant Australia PR machine. I’m guessing Tasmania didn’t have as much money and they used what they had for footage. Pretty great oppotunistic thinking if you ask me.
Director’s commentary is gold. Nice.
I thought it was really funny reading the blurb on here, ready to send it to a couple of tasmanian friends. that is, until I actually got to the site, didn’t live up to its potential unfortunately.
Ooooh! It’s like hobbitsville from lord of the rings except the hobbits have 6 fingers and lord of the rings is home and away.
Hmmmmm. That’ll drive them higher up the Gunn report.
On another subject- did Droga 5 do the VB Top Ticket promo? Not exactly Talking Boonie is it?
I thought Tasmania looked better.
Droga 5 is a great franchise. When you become a franchisee, not only do you get to use the name but you also get your own business cards, a framed photo of David to use in reception, and a set of replica Canne statues that you can use to impress clients with until you win some of your own.
Putting aside my normal dislike of Andy & Jay’s stuff, I actually think this is a really good idea.
Smart thinking on an obviously crap budget.
I’ve worked on about three tourism accounts and there’s fuck all you can do apart from chocolate box client stock, so kudos guys.
Loved it, right up until the ad changes tone, then it just reminds me of those movie trailer style ads for lamb.
Still, really nice idea, and anything that takes the piss out of the Australia movie gets my vote.
Idea is stronger than execution for me for a change.
Nice thought. Works best for Tassie too as opposed to anywhere else.
Trailers 1, 2, 3 same thing three times, very Andy and Jay.
Nice work overall though.
I know its topical and all that but I hate that its a parody. Way, way too easy.
I hate the stock footage, it doesn’t really make me want to go, in fact it reminds me why i perceive tasmania to be so boring (and I’m sure its not). How hard is it to go to Tasmania and shoot some cool unexpected stuff?
Its still better than half the tourism ads I’ve see though.
Baza
I have to say, when you put this in the context of an in cinema preview playing before Australia, it’s pretty brilliant. When people walk out of the movie thinking it was boring as piss, they’ll think ‘Hey, that Tasmania ad was pretty funny.’
Looking around the interweb, this is probably the most anyone has ever talked about Tasmania. Director’s commentary is my favorite.
Bloody funny idea. Scripts seem lacking a little though.
Love it.
I really wanted to like this, but alas nothing. Nice idea, very poorly executed.
Poor effort guys given that Leo’s did a very, very similar campaign for Canon’s HV20 video camera about a year ago which was based on a film spoof, they even used the exact same voice-over artist. Also Lamb from BMF was much better but still not great. Average start for the new CD’s but even worse for a new client. Word of advice: PR doesn’t always help make an average idea work and become successful.
I think the idea that Tasmania is “Bigger than Australia” could have been executed way better if you took the focus off piss taking the film.
Comments with pseudonyms are anonymous. We all know that don’t we. That’s why this comment won’t get published
Ricky
Sharp planning. Blunt execution. Still, good bang for not many bucks.
Paul I don’t agree. I think the approach is fine, piss taking the film. You can’t do that idea (which is a piss take of a film Australia and then not take the piss out of the film) Just need to be a bit funnier.
I reckon 8.49am is right…if you were sitting in the cinema waiting for Australia to start and these ads played, it would be pretty surprising and funny….much better than the usual embarrassments that make the big screen before movies start.
I just checked out the director’s commentary, well written, well delivered by v/o talent and, well….just plain funny.
So… it was Tourism Australia’s idea then (& for little Tourism Tassy it’s a no brainer to piggy back this launch). I spotted the teaser ad in the weekend’s SMH & laughed out loud & showed my fella, who also laughed. I reckon we’d be bang-on target market too & it piqued our interest in just being clever. Unfortunately the spots are not. I wanted to like them but they’re crap.. the piss take is piss poor & downright annoying, as is script & v/o. My thoughts of Tassie are reassured, it’s not 4 me or my mates til we turn 65plus. The spots cement that.
It really is another country
Nice idea and strategy but like everyone else thought the execution didn’t quite deliver. An ‘A’ for at least having a crack.
relevant
tactical
nice
Uh, Paul you have seriously lost the plot. The idea IS a pisstake of the film. ‘Bigger than Australia’ would be awfully lame if it weren’t a little island taking the piss out of big hype around a big movie for a big island. Beats the crap out of the Tourism Australia work too.
Anyway, who cares what you think. Do you work at Singo’s?
Pretty boring for a piss take
You did the same idea for Canon HV20!
Why don’t you just enter Earthhour again next year too.
I look forward to the next tourism campaign for Sydney, “Bigger Than Parramatta.”
18 comments.
Population of 20,000,000.
0.00009%.
Who gives a shit?
VB was always going to be a tough cookie. Foster’s marketing can’t get their heads around it. No one can. And it looks like they never will. Poison chalice, if you dare. It’s a constant replay of the perennial battle between the traditionalists who say: ‘Stay Bogan’ because that’s our core audience and the progressives who say: move on and ‘Be Creative’ because we already have the bogans. VB Symphony tried to start something, a wind of change that could have given VB some wings over time and the chance to move away from Boganville Central Station. Droga5 have undisputedly returned VB there. What a missed opportunity to grow VB. A real pity.
Great idea.
I actually stumbled across the site before seeing it here. Kinda cool.
Ads coulda been stronger.
if you had Baz’s budget of course.
Not even close!
I agree with Paul. I expected more from the dynamic duo.
The whole movie trailer thing has been done to death. Spoofing ‘Australia’ could’ve been fun, just not this way. I tried my best to like it, sorry.
And it didn’t take you 5 years to make. Tell me your secret please.
This is brilliant. Stop hating and start embracing. Low budget and good ideas is the way to help business grow. Good onya tassie and good onya Leos
I’m with you 10:02. This thing is picking up heaps more media coverage around the world than the TA campaign and they only had about $100,000. That’s bloody good advertising.
I think some people need to pull their heads out from this blog occasionally and look at the outside world.
This Blog is a sham!
Some-one does a teaser campaign for a natural beer and you people go ape shit, then a major agency (the only Australian company in the Gunn report) puts out a piece of work with the same executional idea as a a piece of work they did not even 12 month earlier and you all start blowing smoke in the direction of their arses.
Check it out Justin McMillan Aht films Canon HV20
http://www.aht.cc/
Made me smile. Made me feel good about Tassie. Job done.
Pete.
First of all, thanks for pointing us to the first original ever cinema movie trailer thingy rip off. Now I know where it all started (and who to strangle if I get the chance).
Secondly, Brawny brawn man was a success. This is the first time a self confessed ad nerd has ever heard of the Cannon campaign.
So in conclusion, RANT RANT RANT, RANT RANT, RANT RANT RANT RANT, RANT, RANT RANT RANT, NO NO NO, RANT RANT RANT, NE NE NE NE NYAAAAA NE, RANT, DUMMY SPIT, RANT.
Happy?
It looks like a movie, but then you find out it’s for tourism! So clever and original! I was really deceived. I thought it was one thing, but it was the other! Totally unexpected and well shot. That’s so fantastic, that I’ll go to Tasmania now with my wife and 3 children.