We Made A Film While Everyone Else Made TikToks: Tourism Australia’s Susan Coghill At Cannes In Cairns
While everyone else in the industry was making TikToks and Reels, Tourism Australia (TA) created its nine-minute award-winning “Come and Say G’Day” short film and drove incredible results, Susan Coghill told a captivated audience at Cannes in Cairns.
Flanked by the Great Barrier Reef and beautiful rainforests on the other, Cannes in Cairns was the perfect setting to discuss selling Australia to overseas tourists.
But despite the natural beauty surrounding the attendees, Coghill explained that selling a trip down under – especially in the wake of the COVID pandemic was not as easy as it might appear.
“We support this incredible tourism industry that desperately needs international visitation to return,” explained Coghill.
“It’s an industry made up of over 350,000 mostly small, mom-and-pop businesses that take out a second mortgage to buy boats to take you on a tour of the Murray River or up to the Great Barrier Reef.
“Tourism is our second-largest export. One in 12 jobs are tourism-related and here in Cairns, that number is one-in-eight.”
No pressure, then. Fortunately, Coghill – rather than striving for newness – looked back into the rich history of previous Australian tourism campaigns to create the “clear” but not “simple” brief she and the team provided to Tourism Australia’s creative agency, M&C Saatchi.
A key point of inspiration was Paul Hogan’s “Wonders Down Under” campaign from 1984.
While Coghill said that the ad was “iconic” and “kicked off the modern era of destination marketing,” it would obviously not stand up in today’s media landscape.
At the time, the ad’s “beautiful imagery of Australia” combined with its “charming Australian spirit” and “just enough bikini that was still acceptable in the 1980s” made it, and Australia, stand out from the crowd.
However, Coghill explained that the ad left Australia’s First Nations and broader multicultural community unseen and unheard. This was something she strove to be mindful of when it came to telling the world that Australia was back open for business following the pandemic. The new ad would also lean into Australia’s world-recognised flora, fauna and natural and man-made landmarks.
Top of the list, obviously, was the kangaroo. But, despite Coghill worrying that it might seem trite and, well, obvious, research showed that people around the world still love a bouncing marsupial.
“We did six months of research and, yes, the answer was a kangaroo. There’s a reason we have a kangaroo as our logo, there’s a reason that Qantas uses a kangaroo in its logo,” she said.
“The kangaroo is closely followed by the koala, the Sydney Opera House, Crocodile Dundee and Uluru. So, when it came time to build our campaign, it’s no surprise that you’re going to want to stand out as uniquely Australian. We used a kangaroo, the most recognisable of brand codes, we featured iconic destinations and experiences and we chose a song [Men at Work’s “Down Under”] that struck a chord with consumers’ memories.”
However, the job wasn’t finished. The team at TA and M&C Saatchi needed to find a way to make an ad accessible to the entire world but without being able to access global talent. The solution? Animation. Again, seemingly simple but deceptively complex.
The final film, featuring Ruby the kangaroo (voiced by Aussie actress Rose Byrne) and toy unicorn Louie (Will Arnett), saw the pair travel around the country taking in sights, sounds and diverse people that make up the country.
Coghill explained that the process was “two years of blood, sweat and tears” and that “we don’t have enough budget to be off-brand but equally, we don’t have enough budget to be boring.”
Launching the campaign, Coghill said that it was a “leap of faith” and that the team were animating assets until two days before launch. Fortunately, the hard work was worth it.
The campaign scored brilliantly in System1’s global research looking into the ad’s creative effectiveness.
In the UK, US, Singapore, South Korea and Japan, audiences scored it a perfect five stars. German holidaymakers and their counterparts in India and China scored it four. The French, naturally, scored it a three.
But the proof would be in the pudding. With ads placed around the world in iconic digital out-of-home sites, across socials and CTV (where it received a remarkable four minutes and 15-second average watch time) and even with late-night talk show appearances in the US, the ad performed brilliantly at hitting the high-yield customers at a top-of-funnel position.
Australia was up 12 percentage points in consideration, 13 percentage points in intention to travel and 10 percentage points in share of search.
But that’s not the end for Ruby the ‘roo. Coghill said that the campaign will continue to evolve and TA is committed to it being a long-term brand platform. Toys of the characters might even be on the horizon.
So, get ready Australia, for many, many more people coming to say g’day in the months and years to come.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Tourism AustraliaLatest News
‘Blair Is Mr Happy, Beau Is Mr Dopey, I’m Mr Grumpy’ – Top Gear Australia Hosts Reveal What It Was Really Like Filming
Top Gear features the cars you could never afford to drive. It's a bit like the bogan's Gourmet Traveller, really.
Nine’s Total TV Sales Lead Richard Hunwick To Step Down
Nine's Richard Hunwick calls time after 15 years. Hoping for a last trip to the Olympics before getting the gold watch.
Yahoo Academy Culminates With Pitch-Off For Musicians Making A Difference With Trip To Cannes In Cairns On The Line
B&T happy to support the Musicians Making A Difference initiative. Particularly any that encourages more Watusi.
TV Ratings 16/5/24: Nearly 2 Million Tune In To See Sky Blues Win In Women’s State Of Origin
B&T does make jokes about the Budget reply speech but, to his credit, Mr Potato Head rated OK last night.
Binge Launches “Scene:Scents” Sensory Entertainment Campaign, Via Thinkerbell
There's now scented candles to pair with BINGE shows. We're hoping Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures doesn't hear about it.
Jolt Partners With Veridooh For Verification Of Its EV Charger Placements In UK
Although B&T's an avid supporter of EV cars, we'd definitely miss the smell of petrol and the service station pie.
Nine Ad Manager Named Principal Sponsor Of CommBank SmallBiz Week
CommBank's SmallBiz Week is coming to Melbourne on the 29-30 May. B&T's as confused as you are on how that's a week.
Pet Circle & Seven Communications Partner On “Pawtition” To Get Pets On Public Transport
B&T's concerned about the fleas, urine & faeces on public transport - and that's just from fellow passengers!
‘A Win-Win’ – How The Matildas Helped CommBank Become A ‘Globally Iconic Brand’ For The First Time
CommBank's sponsorship of the Matildas is a sport marketing masterclass. The opposite to Nick Kyrgios & his sponsors.
VML Australia Dominates The One Show With 5 Gold Pencils
VML Australia flying the flag at the One Show Awards in New York. Not that we need more flag waving at the moment.
Social Soup: Consumers Looking For “Informative” Not “Funny” Social Content When Making Buying Decisions
In a further blow to ventriloquism everywhere, new research says consumers prefer information over funny videos.
GIO Unveils New “Protect Precious” Brand Positioning & Campaign, Via Ogilvy
Insurer asks what's precious in our lives in new work. Which is better than asking is this business highly flammable.
Digitas & Heckler Singapore Launch Animated Symphony For Riot Game’s Valorant Champions Tour Pacific
Stony silence between you and the graphic arts team at Friday drinks? This gaming news could be an ice breaker.
Wavemaker Global CEO Toby Jenner Appointed Global President, GroupM Clients
Wavemaker’s Toby Jenner continues his career trajectory. But is it enough to move him up to the first class lounge?
Fast 10: Mindshare Head Honcho Maria Grivas On Her “Resting Smiling Face”
Mindshare is having a very fruitful 2024. Here, CEO Maria Grivas reveals her fertilisers & pruning tips to success.
Real Home Care Clients & Staff Star In New HammondCare Campaign
Aged care commercial uses real life clients & staff. B&T has not contacted the actor's union for comment.
Mutinex’s Henry Innis: “I’m Imperfect As A Leader”
Mutinex is being touted as one of the hottest start-ups in the land. And we don't mean that in an Elizabeth Holmes way.
Slew Of Senior Hires At Sparro by Brainlabs & Jack Nimble
B&T loves to report new hires as it shows the healthy state of the industry. That and cocaine usage at work functions.
Initiative’s Fein, Geer, Colter To Depart For Accenture Song
As you read first in B&T, there are significant comings-and-goings at Initiative. Though mainly goings, if we're honest.
Pizza Hut Fined $2.5m For Spamming Customers
To be honest, if you're going to spam customers, cheap pizza deals is probably on the low side of the dodgy scale.
Jetstar & Qantas Perception Ratings Soar After Bonza Cancelled Flights, YouGov Finds
This poll is further proof nothing builds a positive brand image like your competitor monumentally f@cking up.
Pedigree Launches AI-Powered Ad Initiative To Give All Dogs A Home, Via Colenso BBDO & Nexus Studios
B&T encourages this dog adoption initiative. And that's despite us barely being able to look after our own selves.
Apparent Launches “All Heart, No hassle” Integrated Campaign For Flight Centre’s Corporate Traveller
Apparent charged with Flight Centre's Corporate Traveller creative. Has avoided any gags about stolen hotel bathrobes.
South African Tourism CMO: ‘We Want Consumers To Experience SA Through The Eyes Of A Child’
B&T chats with South African tourism's Aussie CMO. Admittedly, we had to quickly rectify our Barossa Valley questions.
Market Research Firm TRA Names KFC’s “Look On the Fried Side Of Life” As Australia’s Favourite Ad
A poll of everyday Aussies has revealed our favourite ads. And it'll make difficult reading for the Harvey Norman team.
‘A Big, Big Step In The Right Direction’: Media Buyers React To News Corp’s D_Coded
There was a universal thumbs up for News' D_Coded event. Although there were calls for glitter bombs at the finale.
CommBank Announced As Presenting Partner Of Vogue Codes 2024
Vogue Codes is a top initiative encouraging women into STEM-based careers. All while wearing Jimmy Choos, apparently.
Brad Garbutt Joins OMA As Marketing Lead
Seasoned adlander Garbutt joins the outdoor association. Says he's got the DOOH down pat, but working on the PDOOH.
TV Ratings 15/5/24: Gruen Pulls A Crowd For Aunty As It Enters 16th Season
Although B&T typically shuns predictions, we're expecting big numbers for Peter Dutton's Budget reply speech tonight.
D_Coded panel: ‘If You Are A Marketer Handling Data And Haven’t Spoken To Legal, You’re In Trouble’
This fiery panel was a highlight of Tuesday's D_Coded event. Not that it spilled out into the carpark.
SBS Audio Campaign Tells The Stories Of New Australians, With Multilingual Content Offerings To Assist Migrants
SBS Audio has launched a new marketing campaign for its ‘Australia Explained’ service which supports new migrants to successfully navigate life in Australia and achieve a greater sense of belonging and social cohesion. SBS’s flagship service for new migrants, Australia explained, has launched a multi-platform marketing campaign that reaches into the heart of the migrant […]
Tracker App Launches, Promising Consumers A Read On Brand’s & Products Sustainability Chops
Shoppers can now get access to sustainability information at their fingertips through Tracker, a first-of-its-kind mobile app. The Tracker app centralises sustainability data into a single, easy-to-understand format, helping shoppers make informed choices about the brands and products they support. Shoppers can simply scan the barcode of their favourite supermarket, chemist or department store item […]
Channel Factory Expands Team Across Australia & New Zealand By 20%
Social media agency Channel Factory announces a significant lift in staff numbers. Doesn't thank Tuesday's Budget.
Jaywing Extends Strategy Team Appointing Fran Martin As Senior Brand Strategist
As is often said, you can never have too much strategy. Same can't be said of programmatic & AI.
Tourism Tasmania Taps Broadsheet For Latest “Off Season” Campaign Iteration
Do you like to drape yourself in sheepskin, flannelette & weird, wooly hats? Tasmania in winter is for you.
Netball WA Appoints 303 MullenLowe As Brand Strategy partner
Netball WA appoints 303 MullenLowe for its brand strategy. Any mention of Gina also now strictly forbidden.