Tourism Australia's new campaign under fire for 'white-collar' bias

Melbourne, Oct 13 : Tourism Australia's new campaign is under fire for targeting 'white-collar' professionals, and excluding older tourists, families and singles.

Roger March, a marketing expert at the Australian School of Business criticized the new 40 million dollar advertising campaign inspired by the film Australia for targeting city-dwelling white-collar professionals only.

Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann created two ads for the publicity of the release of his blockbuster next month.

Both ads depict how a trip to Australia helps stressed-out couples living in cities get their lives back on track.

March said that the portrayal of urban couples without children was a "high-risk strategy", as it might not have the desirable impact on other potential visitors.

He said that the ads were too focused on one type of traveller.

"The target market is very narrow: stressed-out urban couples without children. Can we expect singles, families, seniors and other segments to relate and respond positively to these ads? And what of people who do not live in cities?" The Age quoted March as saying.

He said that the benefits of the holiday shown in the are not the type sought by all potential visitors. Many Asian tourists, for example, stay in the cities.

He further said that not every person would feel that their lives had been transformed by a visit to Australia, so the ads raised the potential to disappoint.

The number of holidaymakers to Australia dropped by 4.7 per cent in the last financial year, and the tourism industry leapt on the campaign as a potential saviour.

Tourism Australia's marketing director, Nick Baker, said that he lacked the budget to make ads to target every type of traveller, and that the ads sold an emotional connection that would be recognised by all.

Print ads accompanying the Luhrmann spots feature singles and older people, Baker said.

ANI