Tourism Australia’s New TV Campaign Makes An Obvious Mistake

by Jessica Festa on


Next time you send a message to your boss with a typo, don’t be so hard on yourself. At least you didn’t spend $242 million dollars on a 17-language TV advertising campaign, only to include an obvious mistake.

A new Tourism Australia campaign is attempting to get away from the stereotypical image of boozers and beach babes, and give the country a sophisticated facelift. Unfortunately, the editors overlooked a scene including a couple walking unaccompanied along a beach on South Australia‘s Kangaroo Island, clutching a bottle of wine. Not only is alcohol not allowed on the beach, but visitors are required to be accompanied by a ranger. To combat the guffaw, Tourism Australia’s managing director Andrew McEvoy is looking at the positive aspects of the ad, like high-quality shots, products and experiences. Likewise, the website has been revamped to include new language, containing words like “sophisticated,” “contemporary” and “inspiring.”

Most likely, the average viewer will not recognize the mistake; however, you’ve got to wonder how the tourism board overlooked this especially after spending such an exorbitant amount of money.

To see Tourism Australia’s latest ad, check out the video above.

Tourism Australia TV ad a winner: See it and start packing

by Jamie Rhein on

“Sometimes we have to get lost to find ourselves. Sometimes we have to go on a walkabout.”

If some angelic looking child whispered this in my ear while I slept, I’d hop out of bed and head straight to Australia myself. This alluring bit of dialog is only part of what makes Tourism Australia’s ‘Come Walkabout’ TV ad brilliant. With Baz Luhrmann’s creative juices adding to the mix of the ad’s creators, there is almost a complete movie here in all of a minute and a half. In a way, it’s the poem version of the full length feature film Walkabout, but happier–much happier.

For it’s brilliance, the ad won the silver Clio Award as an entry in this prestige’s international advertising and design competition. It’s like the Oscars for commercials. According to this article in Scoop, the ad’s impact has already been felt, particularly by folks looking for adventure. I wonder how crowded that swimming hole surrounded by gorgeous scenery will get?