Tourism Australia's new tourism campaign: Australians 'embarrassed' by new CGI mascot

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Tourism Australia's new tourism campaign: Australians 'embarrassed' by new CGI mascot

By Katherine Scott
Updated
The campaign introduces the brand's new long-term ambassador – a small computer-generated souvenir kangaroo, Ruby, voiced by Australian actress Rose Byrne.

The campaign introduces the brand's new long-term ambassador – a small computer-generated souvenir kangaroo, Ruby, voiced by Australian actress Rose Byrne. Credit: Tourism Australia

Tourism Australia's first global campaign since 2016 debuted on Wednesday, picking up where Paul Hogan left off with his iconic "shrimp on the barbie" ads of the '80s and '90s.

At the centre of the $125 million tourism push is the brand's new long-term ambassador – a small computer-generated souvenir kangaroo, Ruby, voiced by Australian actress Rose Byrne.

Tourism Minister Don Farrell has already dubbed Ruby "the new Paul Hogan" in an ABC Radio interview last week.

The TV ad follows Ruby as she leads a toy unicorn named Louie (voiced by Canadian actor and comedian Will Arnett) on an adventure around Australia, taking in iconic sites like the Great Barrier Reef.

The TV ad follows Ruby as she leads a toy unicorn named Louie (voiced by Canadian actor and comedian Will Arnett) on an adventure around Australia, taking in iconic sites like the Great Barrier Reef.Credit: Tourism Australia

However, the new mascot, and resurrected tagline "Come and Say G'day" (first used in Hogan's 1984 campaign), has been met with mixed reviews.

The 60-second TV ad, which launched in tandem with an eight-minute short film, G'Day, featuring Ruby's backstory, is an extension of Tourism Australia's long-standing There's Nothing Like Australia global brand platform.

The TV commercial follows Ruby as she leads a toy unicorn named Louie (voiced by Canadian actor and comedian Will Arnett) on an adventure around Australia, taking in iconic sites including the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Opera House.

The 60-second 'Come and Say G'day' TV ad is an extension of Tourism Australia's long-standing There's Nothing Like Australia global brand platform.

The 60-second 'Come and Say G'day' TV ad is an extension of Tourism Australia's long-standing There's Nothing Like Australia global brand platform.

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It also features a remake of the classic Australian anthem Down Under by Indigenous rock band King Stingray, who sing in both English and Yolŋu Matha, marking the first time Tourism Australia has featured an Indigenous language in its advertising.

Online, Australians don't appear convinced the cartoon is the answer to the country's ailing tourism sector. Some comments pan the ad as "embarrassing", "lame," and "retro". One critic notes: "Yeah, nah…looks like a stock character from a PS2 game circa 2003." Another compares it to "year 5 class work".

Phil McDonald, managing director of creative agency BCM Group, said he wonders if Australians will see themselves in the campaign.

"Would they feel proud of the work and think that it represents them? If they do, then you've got something that reflects the authenticity of that place," said McDonald.

However, Australians don't need to like the campaign for it to work, points out Kirsty Muddle, chief executive of Dentsu Creative.

"This is not for us. It's for the rest of the world. What matters is that they like it," Muddle said.

"Leaning into obvious and, most likely, well researched symbols of Australia like kangaroos and an Australian song where most of the world can sing the chorus, makes it easily accessible to a global audience.

"Ruby is Australia's virtual identity, it helps bring out our personality and makes it accessible to East, West and anything in-between. I think she's friendly, it's not about making this funny," she said.

John O'Sullivan, chief executive of Experience Co and former Tourism Australia managing director, said bringing back Hogan's "Come Say G'day" line is smart, and it's unfair to compare Ruby and Hogan.

"I think they've really purposely gone back to those iconic images of Australia that the rest of the world knows us for," said O'Sullivan.

This is a deliberate tactic, amid the most competitive tourism market ever faced, according to Margy Osmond, chief executive of Tourism Transport Forum Australia.

"If you're going to cut through in the international market now it has to say immediately this is about Australia, and there's no doubt Ruby the roo does exactly that," said Osmond. "They need something that reminds everybody what a gorgeous, friendly place this is to come to."

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said the campaign had tested well in all of the organisation's 15 key markets ahead of its star-studded global launch in New York on Wednesday.

"The thing that we really like about this campaign is the versatility of it. Ruby is something that appeals to Eastern and Western markets, she can be voiced in English, but can also be voiced in other languages," said Harrison. "The campaign is so flexible, it really does mean we can dial up different elements depending on what resonates, by market."

The campaign comes at a crucial time, with international visitor numbers for the year ending June 2022 slumping to 14 per cent of pre-COVID levels, and total spend down to 22 per cent.

Prior to the COVID pandemic, Australia recorded 9.5 million international visitors annually, spending $45.4 billion.

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