Adelaide newspaper asks clients to create ads to promote South Australia after mining project scrapped
Advertiser Newspapers has launched a campaign to raise the spirits of South Australians after mining giant BHP Billiton scrapped an expansion plan that would have pumped $20bn into the region.
The newspaper group offered free advertising space to agencies and brands to come up with campaigns promoting the state and spreading positive messages among readers.
Coopers, Bank SA, Thirsty Camel, Motor Accident Commission, IGA, Elders and Stratco were among advertisers to back the campaign – with 55 agencies sending in creative ideas.
Advertiser Newspapers MD Ish Davies said: “We were disappointed when the news broke but regardless of this South Australia has many more major projects underway and exciting things to be proud of. With the CBD currently undertaking an exciting transformation, numerous other mining projects, the many festivals just around the corner and recently being unveiled as the fifth most liveable city in the world, why wouldn’t we be happy? As the major media outlet in Adelaide we have taken it as our responsibility to help keep this state positive, motivated and moving in the right direction.”
Here are some of the ideas sent in to the paper:
‘We’ve been tapping South Australia’s natural resources for 150 years’ by KWP! for Coopers:
‘We love SA’ by Clemenger BBDO Adelaide for Balfours:
‘Who gives an Olympic Dam?’ by KWP!:
‘Most Australians think our driving is below average’ by Clemenger BBDO Adelaide for MAC:
‘We know what to do when life gives you lemons’ for Bickfords:
‘Happy animals’ by Advertiser Newspaper’s inhouse creative team:
The news comes the week after an opinion piece on Mumbrella written by a creative director leaving Adelaide’s ad industry caused a stir that made the regional press for pointing to the region’s weak points.
David Campbell, creative director of Fnuky, which has just sold to rival agency THEM, advised those working in Adelaide: ‘Don’t leave all the old people in charge’ and ‘Don’t rely on local clients’.
Advertiser Newpapers marketing director Dan Demaria commented: “The reality here is that Adelaide is not an old boys club. A few of the agencies are run by older guys, but their creative departments are full of young, fresh talent.”
South Australia has a great deal more to offer than simply being the location of the world’s biggest hole in the ground. There is a lot to celebrate in the fact that the Olympic Dam project has stalled; for a start, Adelaide and its many attractions – including Fringe, Womad, the divine wine regions nearby, the home of the rare leafy seadragon – will be safe (for now) from the biggest uranium mine in history.
It’s interesting that the Advertiser’s competition (and this coverage of it) implies the need to cheer SA up after the “bad news” of losing the Olympic Dam project. I’d have thought SA would be happy to have escaped being Earth’s uranium capital by sheer good luck…
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Boy what a topic !
Unless I have missed something which is always possible why is it planned to run ads in SA when your market to promote your beautiful state , its wine areas, parks, churches etc surely must be other states of Australia.–again have I missed something Mumbrella ?
Are South Australians that lacking in resiliance?
I dont think so–Go SA!
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