Bindi joins Bingle – or is it Bingle out, Bindi in?
Bindi Irwin has been tipped to be the new face of Australia, as Tourism Australia plays down the role of controversial model Lara Bingle.
The daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin left Australia yesterday for a week-long tour to Los Angeles and New York for G’Day USA Week, which aims to bring more US tourists Down Under.
The eight-year-old will perform her stage show Bindi and The Crocmen and will be exposed to a huge television audience when she appears on popular TV talk shows hosted by Ellen Degeneres and David Letterman.
It is understood Tourism Minister Fran Bailey, also yesterday on her way to Los Angeles, will name Bindi as an ambassador for Australian tourism tomorrow, with a Tourism Australia spokeswoman saying she could not release details of what role Bindi would play in the tourism campaign.
It is understood that Lara Bingle who shot to fame as the face of the ‘Where the Bloody Hell Are You’ campaign, will play a downgraded role in future campaigns, although Tourism Australia denied she had been dumped altogether.
Chairman Tim Fischer said that the original advertisement would be edited to feature other actors in the starring role that Bingle occupied, adding, “Alongside Lara Bingle, some of the other talent featured in the original television commercial will take their turn at asking So Where The Bloody Hell Are You”.
“As intended from the onset of the campaign, new combinations have been tailored for each market, allowing the campaigns imagery mix to capture the diverse range of Australian experiences on offer.”
Mr Fischer said the intention was to use “everyday Australians” in the campaign, with Bingle attracting public attention for both her bikini babe image and her romantic links with champion sportsmen, while also being linked with Test batsman Michael Clarke, who recently broke up with his childhood sweetheart of eight years.
Bingle was also involved in a text message affair with married AFL star Brendan Fevola, whose wife accused her of ruining their marriage.
Mr Fischer said the advertising campaign was meant to be about everyday Australians, rather than celebrities, adding, “The campaign has created a real buzz around the globe and our intention in using real Australians rather than celebrities was to ensure that Australia, its people, its culture and its environment are the highlight of the campaign”.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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