• Los Angeles Times , Tuesday, July 29, 2008 10:30 AM

Baz Luhrmann, the Australian director of the 20th Century Fox period piece "Australia" due out in November, has agreed to adapt the movie for an advertising campaign to lure tourists to the land down under. The movie features Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman driving cattle across the continent on the eve of World War II.

Marketers are hoping the ad and movie combo will have the same effect that "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy had for New Zealand, and "Notting Hill" had for the London neighborhood: attract moviegoers swayed by the romance of the film.

"It's a marketer's dream," says Michelle Gysberts, vp of Tourism Australia. "The movie itself will show tremendous landscapes, bringing Australia to the top of mind." Tourism Australia is spending about $38 million in U.S. dollars on the campaign, which also includes print and online ads created by DDB Worldwide.

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