ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

Just days after pulling the plug on a multi-million dollar campaign starring Kylie Minogue, Tourism Australia has hit the ground running with a replacement ad that stars controversial government lapdog, Craig Kelly.

In the new ad, the Member for Hughes engages in some playful banter with presenters from the British version of the Today Show, Good Morning Britain.

Afterwards, Mr Kelly brands the meteorologist he was enjoying a debate with an ‘ignorant pommy weather girl’, which is seemingly acceptable in our culture.

But like the first, this second British ad campaign from Tourism Australia hasn’t been received well. It’s forced Tourism Australia to head back to the drawing board.

Speaking to The Advocate, Tourism Australia’s marketing spokesperson said it was ‘unfortunate’ that British audiences didn’t understand the context of the ad.

“Casual misogyny and climate change denial are key pillars of Australia’s past and at this rate, probably future, too,” said TA’s Carol Coyne.

“We thought the best person to represent these core values of the nation was Craig Kelly,”

“We tried something different, something a bit quirky – and it didn’t work. We didn’t want to come up with some derivative Australiana dribble we usually churn out,”

“So sue us for trying! [laughs] No, well, ok. Maybe next time we’ll just do something like the three Hemsworths on a parasail up in Port Douglas, you know?”

The Advocate reached out to Mr Kelly’s office for comment and received a thinly-veiled threat to shut us down and put us in prison in reply.

More to come.



