by Mat Churchill

The new $4 million commercial from Tourism Australia titled ‘There’s nothing like Australia’ has had a mixed, but mostly unfavourable reaction from media commentators and blogs around the country.

If you have not seen the Ad from Friday's news then please click here to view the ad, and let us know what you think of the ad. Tourism Australia’s Ad;  

Here are just some of the comments to be found in the media over the last few days.

The Age
Stone the crows, are they fair dinkum about this flamin' ad?
Written by Rick Feneley

“What the bloody hell were they thinking? Tourism Australia's latest advertisement for the global market, if you'll listen to its critics, casts us as a nation of tone-deaf bogans caught in a '70s time-warp in which kangaroos get around in herds rather than mobs.”

ABC
New tourism ad: did we get what we deserve?
Written by Jonathan Green

“OK, I realise it's just an ad aimed squarely at undecided German vacationers, it's not supposed to be a tidy summation of the total Australian experience.
But, but, but ... why am I still cringing under the desk after watching the new Nothing Like Australia ad? Is this truly my country? A smile, a song and a beery koala? Do the people at Tourism Australia actually live here? Did they just read about it in a book? Maybe they pieced it together from bits of Croc Dundee II.”

3AW
Tourism Australia ad a rip off?
Posted by 3AW Breakfast

“There has been a fairly positive reaction to the new tourism ad for Australia, but after 3AW Breakfast received a call from a man who says the music from the commercial rips off a classic cartoon song (Mickey Mouse), Ross and John (3AW DJ’s) become legally concerned for the creators.”

The Newsport Daily
Another Aussie singalong for New TA TV Ad
Posted by Editor – Roy Weavers

“My personal view is that photographically the advert is sensational.  Musically it is just another confirmation that whoever is putting these ads together has no idea of the markets he or she is trying to appeal to.  Europe left singalong adverts behind a long time ago and I don't think the US ever used them and as for Asia, who knows?. But hey, I hope it's the greatest success ever 'cos blatantly obviously what we're doing currently isn't working.”  

But the feedback hasn’t all been bad. Doug Ryan from TPPD had this to say. “We’ve heard great feedback from wholesalers who are here (the Australian Tourism Exchange in Adelaide) from all over the world.”

“I think it (the campaign) has great connotations for our area and we plan to link in with it with a ‘There’s nothing like Port Douglas’ campaign.“ he said.

And Dr Tony Moore, director of the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University, said ''I think it probably will work. It seeks to plug into the Australian reputation for irreverence, established in films we have exported internationally over the decades, such as The Adventures of Barry McKenzie or Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.''

The ongoing campaign will cost $150 million over the next three years but TA said the slogan is timeless.

At that price, let’s hope so.