Tourism Oz boss: Comparing our TV ad with the Opera House film is like comparing apples and pears
Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy has hit back at claims by Host CEO Anthony Freedman that the Sydney Opera House’s new long-form film promotes the country better than the There’s Nothing Like Australia ad, saying that it’s “like comparing apples and pears.”
He told Mumbrella: “ ‘Ship Song’ is a beautiful, four-minute online music video, against a short TV commercial targeting a global consumer, across 30 international markets. To put the two up together is like comparing apples and pears.”
The ad, which was created by DDB and launched in May last year, was based on research Australians’ desire to promote the country overseas. McEvoy said:
“We know from our research that Aussies want to help promote Australia to people overseas, and that’s what this campaign is all about. They are the experts on what makes Australia unlike anywhere else, not owners of advertising agencies like Anthony Freedman.”
Anthony Freedman is kidding himself if he thinks the Ship Song video would be a great ad for Australia.
As the tourism boss said, while its a nice song and we feel chuffed to see a nice video about the opera house with singers some of us might recognise, I don’t think it would do a lot to make people visit.
Um… Tourism Australia have run some of the most expensive and non-performing campaigns in history.
Australia the Movie
Where the blood hell are ya
Oprah
Must be nice to have a client with bottomless pockets and little to no accountability for your actions.
Hi Govt insider,
its even better to be a client with bottomless pockets
Looking at you Telstra…
im interested to find out what the objectives / goals of the sydney opera house campaign were and if the targets were met / exceeded.
was it just an awareness campaign, was to increase visitation / attendance, have more concert’s being booked there or a combination of all these aspects .
Any chance that Mumbrella can delve into the midsts and find out this info? if it’s already been written about, can you provide link?