Asia-Pacific

Australia campaigns to promote the country overseas

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-14 15:44

CANBERRA - Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean on Friday launched a tourism campaign, Australia Unlimited national brand aimed at selling the nation's image to the world.

An advertising agency has introduced the "So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?" tourism campaign in order to lure tourism business to Australia.

"Australia is the envy of the world, the only developed country in the world to have dodged the recession," Crean said at the launch in Sydney on Friday.

"We know we are competitive enough. We know we are good enough to do it. What we have to do is to market ourselves better. That's what gives people the opportunity to brand themselves around."

Previous governments had not effectively marketed Australia's brand internationally, Crean said.

"Well, I think that people have talked about this for a long time, so better late than never.

"Remember, we've been out of office for a few years. It took us to get back in to take up the challenge again."

Tom Dery, worldwide chairman of M&C Saatchi, which won the 4 million dollars (US$3.59 million) tender for the campaign, said he did not fear there could be a repeat of public relations problems similar to the previous, controversial, tourism campaign.

"I think that was an entirely different situation," Dery told Australian Associated Press.

"You must understand the absurdity of those headlines,"

In 2006, a United Kingdom legal decision ordered Tourism Australia to pull down billboards featuring the controversial "So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?" slogan for its offensive use of swear words.

The billboards had prompted 32 complaints from people who found the slogan offensive and feared children might see it.

Dery dismissed those complaints and stood by the agency's choice of words.

"I think the interesting thing about the campaign is that it was very well-researched and very well-received overseas," Dery said.

The Australia Unlimited campaign will run for four years and will cost a total of 20 million dollars (US$17.9 million) .

To be launched at the Shanghai Expo on May 20, it will be on display at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in June.