Pat Cummins, the Australian Test cricket captain, is featured in Tourism Australia’s latest installment of the “Come and Say G’day” campaign. This campaign, which will air on TV in India during the upcoming five-Test series between Australia and India, highlights Australia as a premier travel destination, focusing on experiences beyond the cricket field. The series begins on November 22 in Perth.

The campaign includes 30, 15, and 6-second videos, Out of Home (OOH) advertisements, and digital ads that will run in India this summer. These ads aim to target Indian travellers, encouraging them to explore Australia’s attractions, offering a diverse range of experiences. In addition, Tourism Australia’s campaign will extend to the UK, with promotions tied to the Women’s Ashes series in January 2025 and the Men’s Ashes series in November 2025.

Last week, Tourism Australia launched another content series in India featuring former Australian cricketer David Warner. In this series, Warner shares his favorite Australian holiday destinations, adding a personal touch to the promotional efforts. Phillipa Harrison, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, expressed that with over 1.4 billion people in India and a growing number of Indians looking to travel, the potential in this market is vast. The upcoming Test series offers a unique opportunity to engage a captive TV audience of up to 50 million viewers, many of whom are high-yielding travellers eager to explore international destinations.

Harrison emphasized that the ongoing rise in air links between India and Australia, along with the market’s rapid recovery post-pandemic, presents a prime opportunity for Tourism Australia to promote the country. Forecasts suggest that the number of Indian travellers to Australia will double from 2019 levels by 2028. While the Test series promises intense competition on the field, Harrison is confident that the campaign will inspire Indian audiences to consider Australia as their next holiday destination.

Pat Cummins joins Tourism Australia’s Friends of Australia advocacy program, adding his influence to the campaign. Susan Coghill, Chief Marketing Officer of Tourism Australia, highlighted the versatility of Ruby the Kangaroo, the brand’s ambassador, voiced by Rose Byrne. Ruby has been central to Tourism Australia’s global campaigns, including for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and now cricket. This new creative is part of a larger push, which also includes a four-part social media series with David Warner, the launch of “Howzat for a holiday?”, and the hosting of Bollywood talent in Australia. These efforts are designed to promote Australia as an exciting and diverse holiday destination.

The “Howzat for a holiday?” campaign is launching today, just ahead of the Test series between Australia and India. The five-match series will be played in Perth (Nov 22-26), Adelaide (Dec 6-10), Brisbane (Dec 14-18), Melbourne (Dec 26-30), and Sydney (Jan 3-7). The campaign assets will be adapted for the UK and go live from January 10, 2025, for the Women’s Ashes series, and in November 2025, for the Men’s Ashes series in Australia. The collaboration with Accenture Song, the new creative agency, has helped produce a campaign that is uniquely Australian, designed to resonate with Indian audiences and showcase the best of Australia.

Author: Sonali kamble