Nick Cave provides soundtrack for moody Barossa Valley ad

Gorgeous (much like that wonderful Kangaroo Island ad)! Although once you’ve got drunk at the tastings, there’s FA to do in the Barossa…

excellent music video, but uninspiring tourism piece. i can see the local insight behind this, but for outsiders i’d suggest that ants, insects, dead grass and dirt aren’t motivating…

Unfort I agree with the above. The tourism industry is poverty stricken for ideas.
Nothing new has been done since the groundbreaking tourism Vic campaign was created. No big visions. And this link sadly proves it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdmDGVoxjIE

Given that the general strategy for tourism these days is “experiences you can’t have anywhere else in the world” it’s kind of odd that South Australian Tourism is pushing wine and food – they have that stuff in NSW too.

I guess the implicit threat of “Red Right Hand” gives you the serial killer point of difference. Does this mean that the follow up ad for travelling in the outback will be inspired by Wolf Creek?

I like it, but it’s a brave choice for SA, the State of Serial Killers and weird murders to choose. Pretty sure Red Right Hand was the theme in Snowtown.

This wouldn’t be out of place advertising such great destinations as Snowtown in SA. It’s really nicely done, but a little dark for a tourism spot.

google the lyrics and tell me this is a wise choice. great song but you’d have to be a bit thick to think this will attract tourists.

Beautifully filmed and directed. Highlights the richness of the land and produce. Great choice in music too. Love it.

I want to like it, but feel somehow excluded. Understand we’re being asked to see another side of the Barossa… but in reality you just get the sense of SA people talking to themselves in this one, I’m afraid.

Do you think it does the job though?

Don’t get me wrong, it looks brilliant but does it really show us what the Barossa is all about?

The Barossa Valley is one of the best wine regions in the world.. there’s one brief shot of wine being poured into a glass… I’m not travelling anywhere to stand in mud and roll in the dirt..

I think I’ll grab my big ball of wool and walk around Melbourne…

Beautiful. Great work John, James and team.

Is anyone else slightly disturbed by the image of the chickn being plucked and then the body jolt as it’s neck is snapped (skilfully times to the lyrick “crack”)?!

I’ve always wanted to go there… now I’m not so sure…

Its an SA tourism add with a Nick Cave song. Hello?? How is this promoting SA artists and supporting our local industries. Its a fucking Nice Cave song. It’s completely contradictory to the whole concept of the ad. Why can no one see this? Whats wrong with supporting a local SA act… or even better… a local Barossa valley artist?
Let me guess… this song was in their ‘pre cleared library’ or it ‘suited the add the best’. And we wonder why SA can’t have a sustainable arts culture. THIS IS WHY.

Not a tourism ad. You lost me at the ant.

Could attract some film makers?

People want real hints of what they can see, even in arty productions.

Amazing vision and production but I lost interest fairly quickly. The KI ad was inspiring and engaging for me, but I struggled with this puppy.

I like the mood. I like the track. I like the visual style.

I just wish it had a narrative, told a story, went somewhere beyond being just another vignette ad with no idea in it at all. It’s a nice production but unfortunately a lazy piece of thinking.

Once again the debate rages over “Why did South Australia choose to go this way?” or “Why on earth did they use that song?” or “…..killing chickens is sooooo disturbing”. In much the same way that another recent debate raged over why a doorway was used in a new state brand and “oh my lordy…..they left poor Tassie off the map”, this storm in a Grange glass has all the makings of another feast for us to gorge on.

And the topic seems to be once again around what these SA desert-dwellers have done to upset the status quo. In just the same way that a brand is not just a logo (sorry, it’s not) , this beautifully crafted and yes, freekin’ disturbing work of art is not just a tourism ad. It’s a talking point. It’s a reason for people to look outside of the square and to investigate for themselves just what the Barossa has to offer. You see, for many, before seeing this commercial or reading about in an endless stream of online comments as to its positive or negative attributes, they wouldn’t know a Barossa if it crept up on them and bit them on the butt!

And yet with this one singular, controversial, sensual, weird and wonderful TVC their butt has been bitten well and truly. In the greater scheme of things, when your entire budget (including planning, development and placement) only barely racks the $6M mark, this talking point will be bounced around and be talked about and be derided and glorified and benchmarked and slagged off and slobbered over long after the $6M has been well and truly spent!

I suppose it comes about because there’s only 1.6 M of us. But here in South Australia we live well, we work hard and we are smart. We make the best wine. We have the best festivals. We lead the charge with social reforms. For moment at least, we still make cars. And yes, our citizens are at the forefront worldwide when it comes to designing novel ways to bump each other off. And, more importantly, we make beautiful, brave and memorable art and we do outrageous things that people love or hate, but always talk about.

Love the Barossa ad or hate it. Who cares? But on the behalf of my humble self and people living in the very special and wonderful part of the world I only ask that you keep talking about us. It sure stretches our dollar and saves us a shitload on media spend.

It was Oscar Wilde who once said, “If there is anything more annoying in the world than having people talk about you, it is certainly having no one talk about you.”

Keep up the chatter and we’ll keep pumping out the stuff you just love to hate to love to hate.

The Barossa’s awesome btw. Aside from the chooks, dirt, ants and serial killers its almost perfect!

Its great. Captures the dark underbelly of SA (in many people’s minds) and the often intangible appeal of an area like the Barossa. I imagine it will work with more straightforward ‘sell’ comms, and that allows this to be a stronger piece of film without having to sell, just position.

@Ricky – get over it, mate. Its commercial art, not some parochial love-in. Nice to help locals where you can, but not if it compromises an idea. There’s no doubt Nick Cave’s song lifts this spot dramatically.

@tex – spoken like a true suit. Wouldn’t expect you to get it mate. Smoko is over. Better get back to your desk.

beautifully shot, brilliant edit, lots of visual surprises. target audience? strategy? unique appeal? And OMG what about the wine? it’s part of the heart of the barossa. in summary: artful, yes. getting more people to visit, no. do they ever consider researching these concepts? if they did, this would never get to production. almost a complete and utter waste of money. but, hey, I bet everyone had fun.

Let’s hope this lot aren’t let loose on the Flinders Ranges,talk about trying too hard and ending up in an arty crafty hand on hip stylistic mishmash.
Tell me a story,keep it simple,and please please engage me with warmth, charm,and friendliness.
Be unusual, be offbeat, be obscure,be abstract, by all means. Break the boredom barrier any way you like. But please be relevant, cogent,and send me a message I enjoy receiving and which calls me to action.

Not impressed – a waste of money if they want people to go there, as opposed to just talking about a stupid concept.

If they wanted to brand the Barossa as an ugley place to stay well away from they have certainly succeeded perfectly!

South Australia has, once again, been “sold up the river” by creatives who don’t live here or love our heritage and assets as much as we do.

“The King has no clothes”. Aesop.

What the Barossa needs is tourist boots on the ground rather than a $6 gabfest at taxpayers expense!

Love it for an art piece! Reminds me of Dexter slash Snowtown….hmm

Also reminds me of an anti-ad on Gruen where the premise was essentially that Australia’s a great place to dump a body and it not be found.

Still love it though, and make me want to say “debauchery” – or perhaps “de-butchery”

🙂

Great ad. It really hits its target audience well.

Good ad except for the showing of a poor chicken being killed and by the way
there should be no second ‘s’ after Bad Seeds’ (at the end of the first paragraph on this website). Only the apostrophe.

A favourite song ruined if I hear it too many times in an advertisement.
I wondered if it was about Warracknabeal, N.C. doing a full (ute) circle.

Cain – Great reference, hilarious, thanks. “… Australia’s a great place to dump a body and it not be found…”
Amontilado – spot on.

The only good thing about it is that after a minute of random ramblings, that would clearly put anyone off visiting the place (Wolf Creek meets Hannibal Lector and Deliverance), you would barely even notice that it is for the Barossa, it is that poorly branded. There is nothing in there that gives the slightest indication of the country it is in, let alone more precise geographic location, apart from the word Barossa wedged in about 1:30 in, with the threat, sorry slogan, Be consumed. It is not even implying the being eaten part, it is inviting you to be! Either the most daring piece of tongue-in-cheek self mockery, or utter witlessness! And let’s not get started on the 4 minute sofa lugging laneway thing! SA try creating ads that actually tell us where you want us to go and why!! Please!

Nicely shot. Wrong music. Dark gothic tones. Might be a good song for a Snowtown adventure.

Don’t like it at all and I know a lot of people that feel the same way dead animals and snow town movie theme song makes me want to stay away from the barossa

Love love this….hot suma reflections of all the valley….with great filming and music….A credit to you all….xoxo

This ad is rubbish.

I think it would only appeal to inner-city, hipstery, artsy, food-loving types.

You know, the kinda people that like to travel the rest of the world for it’s cool adventurous food, the same people who stay away from places advertised with happy families, sunny beaches and overt talking heads that say “come over here, the wine is lovely”.

And what about the wine? Shouldn’t they be talking about just the wine, instead of banging on about how there is so much more than wine in the area? Surely people don’t care about food experiences and exploring a different side of Australia?

If all that was true, then wouldn’t there be a resurgence in artisanal food, small bars and restaurants around the country? And there would be a growth in trendy food blogs and instagrammy type photos of everything, wouldn’t there?

They should have had a nice sunny ad, with a respectable grey haired couple in front of their caravan, enjoying some nice wine. With a clear voice over telling me about the affordable accommodation.

We know we are good, we let others try to convince themselves that they are better!

Simply the best ad I have ever seen and heard…..I wanna pack up and go to S.A right now for a break

Damn, I love me a dangerous man and good food but I don’t want to end up in a barrel with a dead chook …. conflicted!! Maybe I’ll just go to Surfers again. I love it and hate it!

I think the photography is great in this advertising video. I really don’t know why we have to have the bit with the chicken. Is that so commonplace in the Barossa? My real complaint is that the music, although well played and sung by Nick Cave, gives me the impression of somewhere in the everglades (Deliverance) of America. Barossa is unique – the music is too dark and gives the wrong impression. Perhaps a bit of um-pa-pa would be more in keeping

Torbreck, Hewitson ,St Hallett, Henschke, Glaetzer, Penfolds, Rockford………now why am I going to the Barossa again? Oh, to roll in the dirt and kill a chicken.

Nice piece of art, but……..

We are three sisters that grew up in South Australia and love this commercial. It creates the Barossa mood, which we recognise, in a beautiful and evocative way. It doesn’t preach or scream. It implies, it is poetic. It is brave. We love it !!!

Looks a lot like a Campbell’s Real Stock ad produced in a few years ago. Identical shots with a different track.

Needs to be Bazzed up a bit . . in my opinion

More glitter?

HATE HATE HATE it. It would put me off the Barossa good & proper! & what’s th significance in the girl squirming around in the mud?? Tell me that!

It’s a good song but in the context of promoting a tourist destination, I don’t think it really works. It’s too dark and morbid.

Well SA Tourism I think you are on a winner! What a fabulous moody soundtrack with Nic Cave ( yes I know the song is about a serial killer ) BUT this section is fantastically descriptive that lends itself to the Barossa country side, mystery and epic food! : ) The imagery in the advertisement is amazing! Well done!

It makes you want to revisit the Barossa again and again and again! So SA Tourism and the fantastic marketing team – Job done, brief filled and appetites are wetted…… to revisit.

I have a connection with the Barossa and I am a camera operator and editor. I think this is the best add on TV at the moment, cinematographically and creatively. Raw colourful and sometimes harsh that’s the Barossa. Congratulations to the creators and the clients.

In agreement ref: excellent art and craftsmanship,
but just not appropriate when I have my holiday hat on.
I just prefer not to empty my wallet there.

Looks like an ad created by self important creative types for self important creative types. Terrible.

Even my 63-year-old mum loves the music and the visuals of this ad. Awesome!