Watchdogs review Australia ad ban
TV advertising watchdogs are reviewing the ban of Tourism Australia’s ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’ ad campaign following talks with Australia’s tourism minister Fran Bailey.
The British Advertising Clearance Centre ruled the ads could not appear because of the perceived use of bad language.
But the BACC has now said it look again at its decision.
Tourism Australia and advertising agency M&C Saatchi will makje further submissions to the BACC.
The move was welcomed by Tourism Australia who claimed the ads had never meant to be controversial.
Managing director Scot Morrison said: “We always knew there would be a risk of the ads not getting up in the UK, but it has definitely been a risk worth taking.
“The interim ban has given the campaign a great ‘free-kick’ and the opportunity to now have the decision reviewed means we may be able to have our cake and eat it.
“We never set out to be controversial, just authentic.”
The ban does not appear to have done the campaign any harm – media coverage of the story has helped quadruple traffic to the campaign website to 50,000.
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