Tourism Australia ad campaign under scrutiny
Australia’s ad agencies have been running an eye over Tourism Australia’s new $250 million marketing campaign, which is led by a three-minute video showcasing iconic sites around he country.
The campaign does not work because it tries to appeal to too broad an audience, said B&T magazine, quoting creatives.
But, while most agree the DDB Sydney creative advert is beautifully shot, costing $4m to put together, there is a consensus it is "a bit disappointing" overall, said B&T.
Matt Leedham, the founder of Leedham Creative, which specialises in the travel industry, told B&T that the advert "lacks authenticity".
He said, "It’s nothing really we haven’t seen before, it could certainly be a Qantas add.
"If you position it towards the audience we’re going after, with China as number one, I don’t think it’s going to hit the mark with them.
"It’s difficult to target China and the US and UK in one campaign. They should have skewed it a lot more to China and diversified with more ads."
The Monkeys co-founder Mark Green said the advert was moving the campaign in the "right direction", but also questioned the power of the piece.
He said, "What it lacks is capturing the point of difference for the country as a destination. I think there’s an absence of vision and purpose around the TA marketing."
Referencing previous campaigns like the controversial Where the Bloody Hell are You, Green added, "It’s less cringeworthy than more recent attempts and it feels like a piece of communication which is delightful and watchable, and people will find no fault in it because it’s not pushing too many buttons one way or the other."
Ian Jarrett
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