Tourism Australia's Latest Campaign Proving Big Internet Hit

The latest version of Tourism Australia's There's nothing like Australia global campaign has got off to an impressive start with the signature ad receiving more than eight million views globally since being unveiled just a fortnight ago, making it the agency's most successful ever advert.

The ad - including scenes filmed in the Bungle Bungles in The Kimberley, Sydney's harbour, Melbourne's Southbank, Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef's Lizard and Hayman Islands, Freycinet in Tasmania and South Australia's Kangaroo Island - has been viewed 175,000 times on YouTube, with a further 240,000 views  from Tourism Australia's website, Australia.com.

The short film is proving a massive hit in China, Australia's fastest growing and most valuable overseas market and the venue for the campaign's launch earlier this month, with more than 8.3 million views of the short film so far on popular Chinese digital platforms, including Tudou, Youku, Banma and Baidu.

The interactive tablet application - part of Tourism Australia's commitment to utilising cutting edge technology to tell Australia's story - has also been downloaded more than 6,000 times, allowing tech savvy users to delve deeper into the campaign and explore in further detail the 12 locations featured in the film, together with additional content of the Great Ocean Road and Canberra.

Tourism Australia premiered the new film on its popular Facebook page, giving its record-breaking three million-plus fans an opportunity to view the ad first and share it with their own networks.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy believes the strategy of using digital advocacy to sell Australia has been critical to the campaign's rapid and widespread take-up.

"Advocacy has quickly become deeply integrated in Tourism Australia's marketing activities, and is at the heart of the latest phase of our There's nothing like Australia campaign, where we have embraced social media platforms and actively encouraged people to share their passion for Australia with their own networks.

"Word of mouse is a powerful thing and I think our approach of getting the advocates of Australia to help tell our story for us is really paying off. I think it's testament to the quality of the ad that so many people are going online to have a look, and then sharing with their social networks," Mr McEvoy said.

Mr McEvoy said that the response to the campaign from the Australian tourism industry had been equally impressive, citing nearly 100 Australian tourism operators who have already approached Tourism Australia seeking opportunities to get involved in the next phase of the campaign.

As well as partnership opportunities, the national tourism agency is offering Australian operators a range of marketing tools to align existing marketing activities with the campaign, which will be active in at least 18 of Tourism Australia's key markets by the end of 2012.

A range of free tools and resources will be available to operators from 1 July, including campaign logos, screensavers, digital postcards, a content widget, newsletters and access to an image gallery of images and footage.

Mr McEvoy believes the campaign provides an ideal platform for the industry to speak with a unified voice in promoting Australia to overseas, as well as at home in Australia.

"The industry has supported There's nothing like Australia enthusiastically since it was launched in 2010 - with 180 partners getting involved - and we're anticipating similar endorsement in the this next phase of the campaign as we roll it out in Australia and internationally," Mr McEvoy said.

"Operators are already contacting us, wanting to get involved in the campaign, in many cases offering us access to their own distribution and social media networks. This is a fantastic early result and will significantly amplify our own efforts. We've even had an offer from Madam Tussauds to use one of its wax work models for promotional purposes.

"The beauty of There's nothing like Australia is its flexibility, the ease at which it can be evolved to fit the varied needs of the industry - from travel agents and small tour operators to large wholesalers and international airlines. Industry can easily get on board and make it work for their business and Australian tourism more broadly," he said.

Mr McEvoy also acknowledged the important role the State and Territory Tourism Organisations (STOs) have played in helping to develop the campaign, which he believes is a critical element in driving demand for Australia, and achieving the industry Tourism 2020 goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure to up to A$140 billion by the end of the decade.

"We've worked closely with our State and Territory tourism partners to ensure the campaign reflects the breadth and diversity of outstanding tourism experiences available across the country. This is reflected in the selection of locations used in the broadcast ad and also in some of the broader digital elements of the campaign, where we've sought their input on the best experiences to include, and even used their video material," Mr McEvoy said.

Tourism Australia will continue to work with STOs and other industry partners on co-operative marketing activities, including using the new creative in joint print ads. The latest iteration of the campaign highlights examples of Australia's best tourism attractions, experiences and products.

The A$250 million campaign, in partnership with industry, has begun rolling out in China, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia initially and will be active in 18 of Tourism Australia's key markets by the end of 2012. Within the first week of the domestic rollout, more than five million Australians saw the ad on television.

For further information contact:

Leo Seaton, Tourism Australia, on +61 447 463197 or Kim Moore, on +61 419 978 561

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/TourismAus