(TAN): Tourism Australia has put a hold on its new campaign in the United Kingdom as devastating bushfires continue to blaze across the country, reports said.
The three-minute music video, titled “Matesong”, featuring pop star Kylie Minogue tempting British citizens to visit Australia was taken off television screens less than a couple of weeks after it was aired on Christmas Day, according to reports.
The USD 15 million ad campaign, a part of Tourism Australia’s recently launched “Come Alive Our Philausophy” campaign, was the “largest investment” it had made in promoting Australia in the United Kingdom “in more than a decade”.
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Penned by Australian comedian and singer-songwriter Eddie Perfect, the Matesong featured prominent Australian sports people – former cricketer Shane Warne, Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe and tennis player Ash Barty. While Kylie addressed the British people from a beachside suburb of Melbourne, Sandringham, she was joined by Australian comedian Adam Hills. Aussies such as koalas and quokkas starred in the advert as well.
The picturesque scenes in the ad are in stark contrast to the incessantly burning fires that have so far claimed the lives of 24 humans and half a billion animals, reports said.
Tourism Australia official in the United Kingdom, Sally Cope reportedly said the advert’s digital rollout had been suspended “out of respect”.
“Like all Australians, our sympathies go out to the families and communities who are impacted by the fires, and our gratitude grows stronger by the day for the frontline services facing the fires head on,” Cope was quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald as saying.
“The number one priority right now continues to be the emergency response to these devastating bushfires and the safety of communities and tourists in affected areas. In light of the current situation in Australia, we have reduced some of our campaign activity in the UK,” a Tourism Australia official was quoted by The Daily Mail as saying.
“We will continue to review our planned activity over the coming weeks and months. As the Australian Government agency responsible for attracting tourists to our country, Tourism Australia will have an important role to play in highlighting that Australia will continue to be a world-leading and safe tourism destination, whether in unaffected regions or those that will recover from these bushfires in the months and years to come,” the official added.
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Cope had reportedly agreed in an interview conducted before the ad’s launch that although the timing of the release was difficult, it was intended to make a long-term mark on the British.
“Particularly from the UK our booking period is often 12 to 18 months forward so we have to keep looking forward. With our lead time, and when I say lead time I mean from when people see this campaign, to the inspiring people, the planning process to when they eventually book and travel, so for the first six months we’ll be able to talk about the reach and how many people have seen it and hopefully it’s made people feel good and they’ve been inspired,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Cope as saying.
