Kylie Minogue stars in Tourism Australia’s Philausophy campaign targeting Brits
Australian pop superstar Kylie Minogue is the face of Australia in Tourism Australia’s latest ‘Philausophy’ push to increase British visitation.
The three-minute ad debuted just before the Queen’s Christmas message on ITV, and sees Minogue and a host of Australian stars – including Ian Thorpe, Adam Hills and Shane Warne – sing the ‘Matesong’ to the British people.
ITV had been teasing the ad in the lead-up to Christmas, encouraging UK viewers to tune in before the Queen’s address for a message from ‘Kylie and mates’.
Instead, British viewers saw a three-minute song with Minogue travelling around the country, and even reprising her iconic role as Charlene Robinson from Neighbours, which she played between 1986 and 1988. The song was written by Eddie Perfect.
While the three-minute hero ad concludes with the call-to-action “See you soon then, yeah?” from Minogue, it does fit into M&C Saatchi’s wider ‘Philausophy’ campaign which debuted back in October. The tag-line of ‘Come live our Philausophy’, based on the idea that Australians embody nine unique ways to life – mateship, balanced lifestyle, sense of adventure, story-telling, ‘no worries’ attitude, boundless optimism, the Australian flavour, generosity of spirit and love of nature – was met by some confusion and criticism in the market, particularly after the success of the US Superbowl-based Dundee campaign which preceded it.
At the time of the criticism and scrutiny, however, Tourism Australia backed the tagline, and said once the wider campaign was seen, it would all come together. Different ‘Philausophies’, according to Tourism Australia, will be used to reach different international markets, and exploit what’s important to them culturally.
The 30-second version of the ad:
The marketing body’s chief marketing officer Susan Coghill said this iteration of the campaign was about mateship, and should hit home with the Brits.
“We’ve sought to capture the Australian way of life with a campaign delivered in a big media moment and in a creative way we think will resonate in the UK and entice more of our British mates to visit us Down Under,” she said.
“Our research supports what we in Australia all instinctively know – that the Australian way of life is unique on the world stage and incredibly appealing to people visiting our great country.”
Location: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Kylie Minogue: Australian singer, song-writer and actor
The campaign does reference the difficulties the UK is facing, with Brexit looming and negotiating difficult trade deals, but M&C Saatchi’s chief creative officer Cam Blackley said the campaign brings lightness and brightness to the current political climate.
“The world’s a tricky place right now,” he said. “So it’s a pleasure to deliver a little lightness and brightness through an Aussie icon, extending the hand of mateship on behalf of all Australians. And a couple of quokkas. This is really special because it’s the first time ever one country has created a bespoke piece to directly talk to another country on a personal level.”
Federal tourism minister Simon Birmingham said he hoped the campaign would reignite the UK population’s desire to come to Australia.
“This campaign is about reminding Brits that Australia is a diverse and welcoming destination that still offers all the things that they love about our country, from our white sandy beaches to our native animals and our famous laidback outdoor lifestyle.”
The campaign will continue to rum across British TV, digital platforms. social channels, cinemas and out-of-home.
Matesong Campaign Credits
CREATIVE
Song
Artist: Kylie Minogue
Music and Lyrics: Eddie Perfect
M&C Saatchi Sydney
Chief Creative Officer: Cam Blackley
Executive Creative Directors: Mandie van der Merwe & Avish Gordhan
Senior Copywriters: Curt MacDonald & Chris Brailey
Senior Art Director: Rosita Rawnsley-Mason
Copywriter: Rubini Gun
Art Director: Matt Corcoran
Group Managing Partner: Russell Hopson
Group Head: Emma McJury
Senior Account Director: Nikki Chapman
Account Director: James Steer
Head of Broadcast: Loren August
Lead Print Producer: Greg Hyslop
Chief Strategy Officer: Justin Graham
Head of Strategy: Rachael Fraser
Senior Strategy Director: Nick Jacobs
Design Directors: Simone Cherry & James Jamias
Designer: Matt Harrington
Finished Artists: Ian Hartigan & Holly Jones
Retouchers: Nicko Mueller & Richard Hughes
M&C UK Team
Creatives: Matt Collier & Wayne Robinson
Deputy MD: Mark Newnes
Head of Strategy: Steve Parker
Account Director: Evan O’Driscoll
Senior Account Manager: Samantha Lane
Production
Production Company: Revolver/Will O’Rourke x Somesuch
Edit: Trim Editing
Grade: Framestore
Online/VFX: FIN Design + Effects
Music + Lyrics: Eddie Perfect
Music + Sound: Soundtree Music
Photography
Stills Photographer: Nicole Bentley
MEDIA
UM (Global Team)
Senior Strategy Director: Jack Graham
Senior Client Director: Ashleigh Markou
Senior Digital Partnerships Manager: Anthony Thomas
Digital Director: Sarina Ballauff
General Manager Sydney: Sophie Bingham
UM (UK)
Client Director: Neil Peace
Comms Director: Charlotte Netherwood
Performance Director: Allison McMordie
Comms Manager: Deborah Widdick & Isabelle Locke
Broadcast Director: Zoe Sylvester
Strategy Director: Lauren Raymond
Comms Executive: Savarna Burrows
DIGITAL
Digitas
Head of Production: Lizzie Strobel
Client Partner: Oli Cassidy
Creative Director: Simon Brock
Account Manager: Rachel Malone
Account Director: Max Cahill
Design Lead: Oliver Ree
Creative: Nick Duron
Designer: Júlia Correa
Senior AEM Developers: Rupesh Kumar & Umang Mittal
Stack Chat
CEO Marcus Robinson
CTO Mark Szumowski
Senior Devops Engineer Sam Banks
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Hope & Glory (UK)
Managing Partner Jo Carr
Creative Director Gavin Lewis
Associate Director Natalie Davies & Nicola Burton
Account Director Joccoaa Hand
Senior Account Executive Dani Hayhurst & Lisa Barlow
Account Executive Agatha Hyatt
Account Assistant Stephanie Talbot
opr Agency
Chief Strategy Officer: Kaz Scott
Chief Creative Officer: Bridget Jung
Associate Director: Luke McClelland
Account Director: Ellee Donald
Strategy & Planning Manager: Laura Stoll
Chief Digital Officer Daniel Young
Senior Digital Strategist John Harding-Easson
Senior Account Manager Zoe O’Sullivan
Senior Account Executive Madison Scott
TOURISM AUSTRALIA
Managing Director Phillipa Harrison
Chief Marketing Officer Susan Coghill
Brand, Campaigns and Media
General Manager – Brand, Campaigns & Media Michaela Chan
Global Campaigns Manager, West Ashleigh Sorensen
Campaigns Executive, West Laura Rankine
Global Manager, Media & Partnerships Marketing Alex Lowes
Marketing Media Manager Rochelle Vinson
Studio Manager Andrew Still
Campaign Executive – Brand Stephanie Denman
PR and Communications
General Manager, PR, Social & Content Anita Godbeer
Global Manager, Public Relations Emma Sturgiss
Global Manager, Advocacy Nicole Foster
Broadcast & Event Partnerships Manager Minta Burn
Publicist Lauren Caverley
Global Manager, Social Media Nick Henderson
Social Media Producer Novy Wong
Global Manager, Content Joleen Booth
General Manager, Communications & Government Leo Seaton
Public Affairs Manager Kim Moore
Government Communications Manager Erin Foster
Senior Corporate Communications Manager Hayley Taylor
Consumer Marketing Graduate Georgie Johnson
Digital
General Manager, Digital Strategy Paul Bailey
Global Manager Digital, Mobile & UX Larissa Nery
Chief Information Officer Shaune Rosser
Marketing Technology Manager Manjit Gill
Global Digital Product Manager Rachel Bernauer
UK Office:
Regional General Manager Sally Cope
Marketing Manager Kirsten Webber
PR Manager Stuart Fyfe
Partnerships & Distribution Manager Pete Mills
Senior PR Executive Kate Hodges
Marketing Executive David Olding
Digital Marketing Executive Nick Musson
Business Development Manager Benjamin Taprell
Digital Coordinator, Aussie Specialist Program Silvija Bradford
Aussie Specialist Trainer Alison Lee
I think they missed someone
109 credits..is this a joke? that was beyond ordinary and another clunker from M&C on this account. probably glad they released whilst all agency/marketing folk are on holidays.
Credits list longer than the press release – what a wank!
Stupid advert, very confusing and bad taste as it seems Minogue is, yet again, showcasing HERSELF! Also, why would anybody want to go to Australia when it is alight with bush fires. She should go back herself, get rid of her plumped up ego and face!
Always one of the toughest briefs in Australia and ironically not designed to be judged by Australians at all. Congrats Cam and team, I think you nailed it.
Kudos casting. Hope the Poms luv it and come in droves. Keen to see the main spend short version to see if the high production value and theatrics translate on frequency. Benchmark Paul Hogan X Digital or a lot more time should have been spent explaining how this campaign is ridiculously media efficient for long form creative.
Well executed, and thankfully free from cringe, but I do wonder if it’s missing something.
Very few people eagerly jump on a hellish, expensive 24-hour flight from the UK to Australia purely for good weather and white sandy beaches when Portugal and Spain the south of France are a couple of hours and £79 away.
Their target audience (specifically, cashed-up tourists… not backpacking kids) are coming here for some other reason. To reconnect with friends/family who are living here would he high on that list, I imagine.
So show that. Show the reunion at the arrivals lounge before seeing the sights. Give them a hint of the emotion they’d be chasing… then pile on the weather, beaches, red centre, rainforests, hipster cafes… the variety of what we have to offer.
Did they ask Billy Joel for the Always a Woman melody?
nice shots. But with so much resource the lyrics should have been a lot of funnier and the song better. “Tuck you in bed” ….should have been funny but wasn’t – needed some cheeky arrogant acting. Still good work getting this up with what must have been a challenging approval process
This seems polarizing! People either love it or hate it, which—as they say—is far better than it being boring and forgettable.
Personally, I find it boring and forgettable.
@Helena,
Not to turn this into Campaign Beef or anything, but geez. I doubt it was shot in the last month during the bushfires, you clearly don’t work in advertising, and are not sure a tourism ad about bushfires would help drive tourism and fuel the economy.
Reinforces why I have no intention of visiting – ever.
There is something a bit tired and bland about it all – perfectly suited to the Poms, no doubt. Will it compete with direct flights from Birmingham to Kefalonia? Brexit fatigue, probably not.
Not much more than chewing gum for the eyes.
UK news has constant coverage of the bushfires. Can’t imagine any Brits wanting to come over right now.
From the family names in credits it seems more about Anglo Irish Oz seeking approval from the UK under the guise of a tourism ad campaign.
Not to dismiss UK as a still significant market but surely other reasons, features and word of mouth are more influential than any ad?
The only way to measure any success would be surveying UK arrivals vs PR spin?
My first thoughts too!
Will probably poll well in awareness testing.
After all with 120 people credited they have a head start.
I don’t know whether I was more bored watching it or counting the number of people in the credits.
I think it’s a stretch to call it part of the ‘philausophy’ campaign.
They haven’t used that line in this piece of film at all. It would be interesting to hear if they have officially moved away from that line. I hope so – I’d be disappointed if they weren’t nimble enough to tweak the campaign on the fly to improve it.
Personally I believe the line in this to be quite a bit better – With love from Aus.
Hi Mike,
It’s not a stretch on my part. I went to a one-on-one briefing with Tourism Australia about this part of the campaign before it launched. This is the next evolution of Philausophy, according to TA.
‘Come live our Philausophy’ is based on the idea that Australians embody nine unique ways to life which are marketable around the world – mateship, balanced lifestyle, sense of adventure, story-telling, ‘no worries’ attitude, boundless optimism, the Australian flavour, generosity of spirit and love of nature.
Different elements of these nine ‘Philausophies’ will then be tailored into “bespoke” campaigns for different international markets. Matesong, made for the UK, is primarily based on mateship, but also relies on the Australian flavour, love of nature, boundless optimism and our (alleged) ‘no worries’ attitude
I agree that ‘With love from Aus’ is a lot easier to understand and digest though.
Thanks,
Vivienne – Mumbrella
Taking a step back for a minute, I like the concept that behind ‘Come live our Philausophy’ the campaign will bring to life Australias nine unique ways to life and then share those executions with relevant global mass markets. That feels relevant in this day and age.
I’m also sure that this campaign is built on great insights, after all 109 of our industry peers were involved. However, its the execution thats misses the mark, leaving me completly underwhelmed. I dont hate it, nor do I like it. The comment above, ‘I find it boring and forgettable’, pretty much sums up this campaign and how not to spend $15M.
One of the best international tourism ads ever…..blown away with how it hits the perfect touch & feel for given target audience. Huge congrats. Glad it masked optimism for that other Aussie trait of whinging & whining (see above comments) 🙂