Cricket, Culture & Integrity: The Problem With Outrage Without Action
The ball-tampering scandal that broke over the weekend has rocked world cricket and embarrassed Australian sport. In this joint column piece, Culture Zone’s Nancy Hromin and B&T’s editor-in-chief, David Hovenden, argue that crimes like these need a lot more than just muted outrage…
Much has and much more will be written about the dark shadow that has covered Australian cricket and with it a national obsession. The most intriguing of all is the outrage pouring out our Prime Ministers mouth when only a month ago he was “standing by” Barnaby Joyce despite a flagrant misuse of tax payer funds to protect his lover and keep her in employ. It seems it is only outrage when one gets sprung. And let look at the survivors of male white privilege in power hypocrisy – Tim Worner still holding the helm as CEO of Seven West media despite months of press surfacing around misuse of company funds and excesses that culminated in no one losing their job or any apparent meaningful action or change for women in that organisation.
Steve Smith’s decision to flagrantly cheat in a desperate attempt to win a match slipping away is part of a bigger cultural problem – how does Cricket Australia oversee the integrity of the sport? What the hell was the coach doing? Smith should go, probably permanently, but so does Darren Lehman, if anything is to be retrieved. They are both scapegoats though- Smith’s decision is the culmination of an ugly culture which has gripped the national team for more than a decade – the culture of winning at all costs, blaming and not taking accountability for errors of judgement. We see this everywhere- in adland, in media, in banking, in politics.
The infamous Trevor Chappell underarm delivery was perhaps the first time we saw it in an Australian side in cricket. While he was made a scapegoat to spare his brother Greg, the nation’s uproar, not to mention the ire of New Zealand (who absolutely have not forgiven or forgotten), was such it seemed this incident was a one-off and never to be done again. Swift action was taken then so that it would never happen again.
There was a distinct crossroads here too. When Adam Gilchrist walked when he nicked a ball through to the keeper but was given not out, there was a moment of sportsmanship the nation could hang on to and be proud to be Australian, regardless of the outcome of that match.
When Rob Borbidge, the Queensland premier knew his support for gun control would cost him the 1998 state election, he still went ahead and supported it at a great personal cost. “I took the stand, I was prepared to face the political consequences, and we delivered gun control,” he said to Jon Stewart on a US talk show in 2013 after the Newtown school massacre. “We paid a high political price but we did the right thing.”
The term “slacktivism”, expressing moral outrage digitally, or in an interview by the media as out PM did last night, and then feeling enough has been done doesn’t solve the root cause of the problem. It makes us feel better about ourselves but doesn’t address why Smith made such a terrible error of judgement. Why did no one else on the team speak up? How could the coach not have known? What culture enabled the behaviour to go unchecked and with no boundaries.
It’s not about the tape on the cricket ball.
Latest News
Stop What You’re Doing! B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards 2021 Are Now Open For Entries!
Adland, stop what you’re doing and listen up: B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards are back in business and open for 2021 entries! For all you keen beans and those who are truly dedicated to nabbing a coveted 30 Under 30 Award, now’s the time to submit your entry! With international borders still closed, starting your […]
Salesforce Makes Moves In Automation And Digital Transformation As Part Of Dreamforce 2020
After announcing the mega acquisition of workplace chat company Slack yesterday, tech giant Salesforce has made a raft of announcements as part of this year’s annual Dreamforce event, which has been held virtually. Headlining the announcements was news of Salesforce Hyperforce, which comes as a reimagination of the company’s platform architecture built to securely and […]
Carat: Google, Samsung & eBay Top List Of Australia’s “Most Emotionally Intelligent Brands”
Carat unveils list of top emotionally intelligent brands. B&T assumes they also workout & watch their alcohol intake.
South Australia Health, Wavemaker & News Corp Act Fast To Launch COVID-Safe Black Friday Mask Giveaway
Wavemaker, News Corp and South Australia Health collaborated to launch a Covid-Safe mask giveaway in time for Black Friday sales activating a campaign that would normally take 6-8 weeks in just 6-8 hours. Following the recent unexpected Parafield cluster that led to Adelaide’s lockdown, SA Health identified Black Friday – a key shopping event with […]
Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds And Satan Destroy 2020 In Comedy Gem For Dating Site
We don’t need to tell you but 2020’s been a hell of a year. And that’s the theme of a wonderfully clever spot for US dating site Match that suggests the global plague has made meeting and dating new people even more hellish than it normally is. Called “Match made in hell”, the spot’s the […]
triple j’s Hottest 100 Kicks Off With Lifeline Partnership
This year triple j’s Hottest 100 is partnering with Lifeline, a provider of crisis support and suicide prevention in Australia. As 2020 comes to a close, triple j is taking a look back at the year in music. Despite its challenges, 2020 gave us a remarkable amount of memorable music, so join us as we celebrate […]
Jessica Thompson Joins Leadership Ranks Of Salesforce Partner 8squad
Salesforce boutique partner 8squad has hired former Australia Post senior executive Jessica Thompson in the new role of chief operating officer, to accelerate the company’s expansion. The company is now nearing 50 employees, gained within 18 months of launching, with 8squad helping Australian businesses and building platforms for innovative FinTech business launches. CEO Frank Cuiuli […]
Google Signs On To Pay Australian Publishers As Part Of Global Initiative
Google Australia has revealed it has signed deals to pay Australian publishers, despite the ongoing debate around the Government’s proposed News Media Bargaining Code. Google announced a new initiative last month, named the Google News Showcase, which will see the tech giant pay publishers around the world $1 billion over the next three years. Upon […]
iStock Releases 2021 Visual Trends To Support SMBs And SMEs
iStock has released its top visual communications trends to help small and medium-sized businesses better plan their brand and performance marketing for 2021. Experts from across iStock have identified key emerging trends that they claim will resonate with consumers after a year of disruption—from major political events, the impact of COVID-19, effects of climate change, […]
Air New Zealand Goes In Search Of 8th Wonder Of The World In Fun New Safety Video
Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand have today launched a new safety video, ‘Aotearoa, the 8th Wonder of the World’, to help support the domestic tourism industry. The new campaign sees destinations across the country put forward their submission to be named the eighth wonder of the world—plus, there’s even a bit of a […]
What’s Next For Australia’s Privacy Laws?
With the Australian government currently undertaking the most significant review to our data laws ever, smrtr’s co-founder and CTO Boris Guennewig explains what might be next for Australia’s privacy laws. Australia’s privacy laws look set for a significant shakeup following the ACCC’s inquiry into digital platforms. As part of the government’s response to the Digital […]
IBA Report Reveals PR & Marketing Agencies Are Falling Short Of Today’s Market Needs
Only 11 per cent of marketing managers are happy with their public relations agency, staggering findings from a new IBA International report show. IBA International, a leading B2B marketing communications consultancy, has announced the findings of a primary research report, which examines the confidence of B2B organisations in their marketing and communications agency structures. It […]
DoubleVerify Launches Publisher Suite For Digital Publishers
DoubleVerify has today announced the launch of the DV Publisher Suite, providing the measurement, insights and tools digital publishers need to improve ad delivery, assess inventory quality and maximize yield. For publishers, generating revenue has never been more complex. Today’s demand-side landscape consists of thousands of potential buyers, each with their own unique requirements, transacting […]
Australian Open Start Date Confirmed For Feb 8
The Australian Open has confirmed a start date of February 8, 2021 with strict COVID-19 testing procedures in place. Following weeks of negotiations with the Victorian government, Tennis Australia exec Craig Tiley confirmed the Australian Open had been given the go-ahead. As reported in the Herald Sun, Roger Federer and Serena Williams will start arriving […]
Verizon Media Launches ConnectID As A Cookie-Less Solution
Verizon Media has announced the launch of its new unified identity solution, Verizon Media ConnectID. Built on the foundation of Verizon Media’s consumer-first values and market-leading advertising technologies, the new unified ID solution is designed to support advertisers, publishers and consumers as the digital landscape evolves away from cookies as a way to manage and […]
The End Of The IDFA Is Nigh: Preparing For Mobile Identity In 2021
Apple has laid out its plan to remove the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), marking a major change in mobile identity. In this piece, head of identity APAC at PubMatic, Harui Imaim, shares her thoughts on how advertisers can navigate these upcoming changes. This year has brought many changes, not least of which are shifts in […]
Val Morgan Outdoor Launches Next-Gen Screens At World Square
Val Morgan Outdoor (VMO) has secured an exclusive large format tender with next-generation, iconic screens at one of Sydney’s key retail, commuter and entertainment destinations, World Square. With market leading technology, VMO will deliver the ultimate immersive experience in the form of truly intelligent, curved internal LED screens and a hero screen spanning 8 metres […]
Yeesum Lo Joins 10 ViacomCBS As Head Of Development
It was announced today that Yeesum Lo will join 10 ViacomCBS in the newly created role of Head of Development. Reporting directly to Head of Programming, Daniel Monaghan, Lo will be responsible for identifying and developing locally produced Australian content across all channels and platforms in conjunction with the wider Network 10 team. Lo joins […]
Bunnings Light Up The Warehouse In Christmas Activation Via Bastion EBA
On Friday 27 November Bunnings launched their biggest ever Christmas activation, which was created and brought to life by strategic brand, commercial and experiential agency Bastion EBA. To bring a little magic to this Christmas, the activation involved lighting up one of their Melbourne warehouses, Bunnings Warehouse Maribyrnong. This resulted in a spectacular Christmas lighting […]
The Top 100 TikTok Creators, Trends And Videos In 2020
TikTok has always been about bringing people together to inspire each other and share moments of joy. It’s also a place to find your community, no matter your interests. This has never been more important than in 2020. From devastating bushfires, to a global pandemic that introduced us to social distancing and loss, to community […]
Fleur Head Steps Into MD Role At VMLY&R New Zealand
VMLY&R NZ announces Fleur Head is stepping into the role of Managing Director VMLY&R New Zealand following the resignation of current MD James Mok. Head was previously Managing Director of VMLY&R Wellington. Wellington-based Head, who has more than 25 years agency and management experience across both the Auckland and Wellington markets, will lead VMLY&R NZ […]
Spotify Wrapped 2020: Bad Bunny Tops Most Streamed Artist
Bad Bunny tops Spotify's most-streamed list for 2020. Which certainly begs the question - who the hell's Bad Bunny?
Wild Turkey And Matthew McConaughey Recognise Aussie Local Legends
Wild Turkey and Creative Director Matthew McConaughey, in partnership with Eleven, unveil a new Wild Turkey With Thanks initiative. The integrated campaign is shining a light on Australian Local Legends who have stood with conviction supporting their environment and communities throughout the crises of 2020. Wild Turkey’s With Thanks is a global, annual platform, wherein […]
ABC Responds To Oz Allegations Over Four Corners: “We Don’t Use Private Investigators”
ABC's Four Corners saga looked all set for a rather juicy twist. However, someone's de-juiced it by denying it all.
AIA Australia Partners With Yet Another AFL Team
AIA Australia has announced that it is now the official life, health and wellbeing partner to the AFL’s St Kilda Football Club. According to the company, the new partnership will provide club members with learnings, tools, and strategies that they can use to lead healthier lifestyles. Members will at the same time receive access to […]
These Are The Most Engaging Christmas Ads Of 2020
Did your Christmas ad not make this year's top 10? Ready your flimsy excuses for when the client calls with this.
“Ageism Is Alive & Well” Why Ad Veteran Steve Allen’s Appointment Is Proving Such A Big Deal
We won't tolerate ageism in any shape or form here at B&T. But if our editor plays Neil Diamond one more bloody time!
Apple Ads Spark $16M Lawsuit
Apple has been fined $16 million for misleading ads. Tim Cook pays it with loose change from behind the couch.
Seven Heaps More Pressure On Cricket Australia As It Threatens To Sue For “Millions”
Advertise on Seven? Looking forward to your annual knees-up in its corporate box at the cricket? Shelve those plans.
AppsVillage Partners With TikTok To Allow SMBs To Advertise To TikTok’s Aussie Users
Small to medium sized businesses will now be able to advertise on TikTok through SaaS solutions provider AppsVillage (ASX:APV). APV will allow SMBs to create and manage campaigns on TikTok in under three minutes using its AI software and advertising management platform JARVIS. The partnership makes the most of TikTok’s self-service advertising offering which launched […]
