‘Don’t feel sorry for old mate’: South Australian Tourism Commission launches controversial new campaign via TBWA\Melbourne
September 3 2019, 5:30 pm | | 51 Comments
It’s his own damn fault he didn’t visit Adelaide sooner! A new campaign for SA Tourism via TBWA\Melbourne tells the sad tale of when an older gent (finally) came to Adelaide, he soon realised just how vibrant and exciting it is.
With a heart full of regret, he wrote a blog about the ‘7 things to do in Adelaide in your 70’s’. But really, his recommendations of what to do, see and explore are for everyone.
SA Tourism Commission marketing executive director Brent Hill says the campaign was deliberately controversial and aimed to get people talking: “You’d be crazy if you made an ad like this and didn’t expect to get some response.
“That’s obviously what it was designed to do – we definitely wanted to put something out there that was getting a message across. We knew it wasn’t going to be of everyone’s cup of tea.
“We want to punch home that message that too many people were saying ‘we’ll get to Adelaide one day.’”
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that is a shocker.
What a load of bollocks SATC …. this was a bad call and advert …. let be honest about that and move on
I’d cry like that also if I thought about how much time and money I’d wasted going to Adelaide…
Just about the worst ad I’ve ever seen.
AMIRITE?!
S&*T
unfortunately for TBWA this is one they’ll wish they hadn’t made. it’s utter trash.
TBWA,anything to say?
The client ad whoever put this idea up at TBWA should resign now. That’s just appalling. KWP must be laughing so hard.
You trashed the legacy of good tourism campaigns built by KWP… this is the ‘who weekly’ version of their ‘Stephen king novel’. You average marketing people, and culturally tone deaf TBWA Melbourne, probably did the idea from their office in South Melbourne without even visiting the place. Yeah SA might not be New York, or even Melbourne for that matter, but it deserves better than this utter sh*t smear.
I saw this on the weekend with my kids. We all laughed and immediately talked about it – in a good way. Yep it’s polarised people – but when was the last time South Australia ever got so much attention? I’m betting visitation spikes.
I saw this on the weekend with my kids. We all looked at each other in amazement and said what the hell was that?? Then discussed what a mean-spirited, misguided waste of money it was.
Normal people don’t react to advertising like that, especially not kids, and not to rubbish like this. BTW, how does this capture any Adelaide / SA uniqueness that you can’t get almost everywhere else? Winery – tick. Ordinary pier – tick. Stadium climb – tick. F-me. That looks super exciting. I’m booking my tickets now.
There’s attempted controversy and then there is this. The aim is humour, it falls short, dull and depressing is the net effect.
Can you imagine all the conversations convincing each that this was still a good idea to do…statements like….
“Its just all the angry ADL agencies for moving the account rom KWP to TBWA”
“people just don’t get it”
“It’s polarising….but its getting people talking”
Well from my in seat in ADL….its not, its just really bad, and has let us all down.
rubbish
As an old and ex advertising man, this would surely put off younger people from visiting SA. It portrays a place that is only for oldies. Obviously the reverse of what they had in mind. The client says they wanted to be controversial, bullshit, that’s not controversial just misguided.
Hello Millsy!
B
Ps: spot on!
Starts on ‘old mate’ wandering through Melbourne Botanic Gardens, cut to him on bus to Yarra Valley winery, cut to him climbing onto roof of MCG or AAMI stadium.
Or is it,
Starts on ‘old mate’ wandering through Sydney Botanic Gardens, cut to him on bus to Hunter Valley winery, cut to him climbing onto roof of olympic/SCG/ stadium.
Also it’s crap.
This rocked. I was in a bar with all my friends and we saw it and everyone burst out laughing and did a standing ovation.
The only people who don’t like this ad are boomers who constantly complain about millennials because they remind them about their own mortality. Not me though, I’m part of the Lost Generation, we rocked. Also Gen X are boomers and so are some millennials and zoomers. This is the ad you all wish you could make but you’re too busy writing crap poetry over getty stock footage to rub a client’s ego because we all know advertising sucks and the only way to make it better is to write some bizarre ad about a lonely dude. Any reply to this post just validates my point.
Watching TV in a bar while your friends were there. Sounds like a rocking night out
Absolutely based comment. What’s your email mate?
Who directed this?
Not their work
That’s not very nice.
Come on TBWA,at least stand by your work.
They were meant to release another version yesterday. But pulled it at last second.
My advice.
Apologise and run the Eddie Vedder and nick fave stuff. Even the astro inxs thing. All miles better than this.
A boring live stream launch ‘stunt’ that no-one saw or cared about, followed up with one of the worst ads I’ve ever seen… SATC and TBWA are absolutely nailing this new partnership.
My partner fell critically ill while we were holidaying overseas. After a year long illness he died recently. Our next holiday was a the around Australia jaunt…I guess I’m the old mate you are exploiting. I can see the Big T and the SA Tourist Commission having a bit a chuckle at my expense.
No doubt, I will get to my around Australia holiday after I’ve reassembled my life. But, “Thanks SA Tourist Commission. You’ve saved me some time. I’ve no need to go to Adelaide. It’s to f**king boring.”
Alright folks let’s focus on the big news in league this week!
Valentine Holmes…should he stay in the US and pursue his dream, or come back to the Sharks?
Dally M. Who does it go to? Tedesco, Munster or Cook?
How will Manly go without Tommy Turbo in the spine?
Submit your answers below!
now we are taling
Holmes should stay
Tedesco
Screwed
Surely this old mate could have found some more fun things to do in Adelaide than eat an ice cream on a pier or go to the botanic gardens. If thats all there’s to do in Adelaide then it’s perfectly suited for old mates.
Sorry, but why is this meant to be controversial, i really don’t understand. Seems very straight to me.
They’ve gone from some iconic and beautiful work you can hold your head high about (Barossa Nick Cave) with trusted local Adelaide creative talent, and shifted it all to Melbourne so they can get very below average work instead? Disaster.
This genuinely got a chuckle out of me. Mean-spirited, weird, delightful. Give me this any day over another dull as dishwater state tourism hype reel.
Also big lol at all the butthurt boomers ITT.
I don’t know what the big deal is here, everyone’s taking it too seriously – which seems to be a problem in advertising at the moment. It’s a light hearted little gag. It made me laugh when he cried. Lighten up nerds.
Oh my, what a mess.
Maybe TBWA should fly to Adelaide and apologise to SATC.
Oh, hang on, I guess they’re on their way to NYC to talk about saving the world by putting some logos on a few sails.
The good news? Tourism SA account will soon be up for pitch
I don’t think ‘Old Mate’ has ever been used to describe someone that’s actually old.
Mustn’t be a lot to do in Adelaide, judging by the amount of hate-fuelled comments on here.
Go eat a pie floater or whatever it is you have down there, ya jerks.
SA has some beautiful cemeteries
Truly the ad the defined a generation. People will look back on Australian advertising history, and amongst the glory of George Patterson, Mojo and will sit this magnificent piece by TBWA Melbourne for SA Tourism. It makes me proud to work in the industry, and confident that m̶y̶ this agency has got what it takes to be amongst the best in the world. Brava!
A few logo’s on a sail and now this SH*T. This will be up for pitch in 3 months.
This would make more sense being an ad for RSVP than for Adelaide Tourism.
. . . SATC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=60&v=-p1z2D-A4iY
Geez mate! That is so embarrassing I have decided to step down as captain of the Adelaide Crows.
Is he Brooks from the Shawshank Redemption? Riding the bus too.
TV is low involvement processing.
People will take out of this that old people go to Adelaide.
Great insight!