Five years after it changed taxation policy in Australia with a vigorous advertising campaign against the Rudd government's plan for a resources industry super profits tax, the Minerals Council has launched a new advertising assault in a bid to bolster the nation's coal industry.

The campaign, launched by the council on Sunday, includes an image of a piece of coal inscribed with the words "This little black rock can do amazing things", and seeks to highlight the economic impact of coal mining to the Australian economy.

It has also sought to highlight efforts to reduce the carbon impact on coal mining, and it sparked a social media storm on Monday.

The advertising blitz follows recent concerns among small and medium-sized coal miners that their industry has been less adequately represented since the Australian Coal Association was absorbed by the Minerals Council.