Censorship and media hype
Tourism Australia has recently released what I think is an inspired TV ad marketing the many pleasures of Australia to potential tourists. When I first saw it I got so homesick it was ridiculous and it has just the right blend of cliched images of "Awstraylya" and authentic humour to satisfy the most eager visitor wannabe. I particularly love the images from Bronte pool as the waves come blasting up over the edge. Just perfect.
Snapshot from their website
Whether it is a fiendishly clever marketing ploy or the world has truly gone mad, it appears as if both the UK and Canada find this ad unacceptable or offensive in some manner. It's been banned from TV in the UK for using the word bloody and will be restricted in Canada for using the word hell and for showing a beer(with no brand).
To be fair to the CBC they are only going to be restricting it during family programming timeslots Be The Creature and The Wonderful World of Disney, which air late Sunday afternoon. And it also won't be allowed in family Easter specials. Which I guess I can agree with in theory, however it does make me wonder what is allowed to be aired during those programs. Is it OK to encourage the kiddies to become nice little consumers and pester their parents for the latest use-once-then-move-on fad toys? Is it OK for them to see ads promoting in nice bright colours the sorts of fast- and processed-foods that are going to lead to them becoming part of the obesity culture? On the other hand for the rest of the timeslots when the ad will be allowed to show, we're not going to be able to see the part where some bloke offers us a beer because "...implied unbranded alcohol consumption (a part-empty beer glass) is unacceptable,". That's just bloody ridiculous.
The UK censors take the cake though, "bloody" is apparently too risque for their delicate tastes. This coming from that wonderful land that has inflicted upon the world such luminaries of taste and decorum as Benny Hill, The Two Ronnies and Little Britain. Not to mention the strangely long lived trainwrecks that are Coronation Street and East Enders. C'mon. Pot please see the kettle, he's calling you and he's got a generic unlabelled beer for you.
All kudos to Tourism Australia though who are riding the extra PR wave with enthusiasm. Controversy, no matter how silly, encourages more exposure and they've probably got millions of dollars of free publicity out of the whole thing. It's almost enough to make me wonder why the bloody hell I'm wandering around a city with a foot of snow on the ground. Almost :-)
Snapshot from their website
Whether it is a fiendishly clever marketing ploy or the world has truly gone mad, it appears as if both the UK and Canada find this ad unacceptable or offensive in some manner. It's been banned from TV in the UK for using the word bloody and will be restricted in Canada for using the word hell and for showing a beer(with no brand).
To be fair to the CBC they are only going to be restricting it during family programming timeslots Be The Creature and The Wonderful World of Disney, which air late Sunday afternoon. And it also won't be allowed in family Easter specials. Which I guess I can agree with in theory, however it does make me wonder what is allowed to be aired during those programs. Is it OK to encourage the kiddies to become nice little consumers and pester their parents for the latest use-once-then-move-on fad toys? Is it OK for them to see ads promoting in nice bright colours the sorts of fast- and processed-foods that are going to lead to them becoming part of the obesity culture? On the other hand for the rest of the timeslots when the ad will be allowed to show, we're not going to be able to see the part where some bloke offers us a beer because "...implied unbranded alcohol consumption (a part-empty beer glass) is unacceptable,". That's just bloody ridiculous.
The UK censors take the cake though, "bloody" is apparently too risque for their delicate tastes. This coming from that wonderful land that has inflicted upon the world such luminaries of taste and decorum as Benny Hill, The Two Ronnies and Little Britain. Not to mention the strangely long lived trainwrecks that are Coronation Street and East Enders. C'mon. Pot please see the kettle, he's calling you and he's got a generic unlabelled beer for you.
All kudos to Tourism Australia though who are riding the extra PR wave with enthusiasm. Controversy, no matter how silly, encourages more exposure and they've probably got millions of dollars of free publicity out of the whole thing. It's almost enough to make me wonder why the bloody hell I'm wandering around a city with a foot of snow on the ground. Almost :-)
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