The new movie Australia starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman by Baz Luhrman has Tourism Australia hot on it’s heels. It’s good to see that Tourism Australia saw this opportunity to leverage off the Hollywood film, just to get an awareness out there in the ‘big bad world’ would make a difference.

I personally find the TV commercials which they came up with quite depressing, Click to view Billabong and Click to view Boab

It’s such a contrast with the traditional Australian advertising campaign which is usually full of blue skies and beaches like the following:

I can’t really bring myself to like the new angle because it makes Australia look like any other over worked, doped up on anti-depressant country (even if it is true).

Why did it have to be so different? Why couldn’t they just follow Telstra and Qantus in their advertising creative?

I suppose they have a huge gap to make up for when their “Where the bloody hell are you?” campaign became famous for its failure. It’s so famous that it’s been banned from some countries and there’s so many spoofs around you might miss it! I’ve even found this great video where the guys at Chaser’s War on Everything come up with alternate slogans and test it on actual tourists =D