• Ad Age, Friday, March 10, 2006 11:47 AM

Australia is launching a new $20 million marketing campaign designed to lure American tourists to its shores that carries the potentially controversial slogan, "Where the bloody hell are you?" The new effort follows 86 focus groups and $6.2 million in brand tracking, segmentation studies, and in-depth interviews by the Australian Tourism Board, which found that only 6 percent of Americans surveyed said they plan to visit the country. The Aussie "attitude" expressed in the slogan might offend some, but the board is hoping it will resonate with potential tourists as genuine. "Authenticity is key to the campaign," said Tourism Board marketing director Ian Macfarlane. He said he's not concerned about offending consumers, but acknowledged that the tagline might be toned down in some nations. Still even if there are complaints, "that creates energy in a campaign," he said. "It's all upside." The campaign includes TV spots in which a series of non-actors describe how they have prepared for visiting tourists by getting the 'roos off the greens, shampooing the camels, turning on the lights to the Sydney Opera House and, in the case of Aboriginal dancers, "we've been rehearsing for over 40,000 years." In a reference to ocean swimming areas where fences have been installed to keep sharks out, an Australian boy says Australia has "gotten the sharks out of the pool." The $20 million North American campaign will run in U.S. and Canada for two-and-a-half years.

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