Qantas sees 25 per cent uptake in US interest after Modern Family Australia episode

ARE WE about to see an influx of US visitors? Qantas has seen a 25 per cent spike in interest from Americans following Modern Family’s Australia episode.

Modern Family investment could pay off for Qantas.

WE COULD be seeing an influx of American visitors in the coming months if initial reactions to Modern Family’s Australia episode is anything to go by.

Qantas has already been rewarded by potential US travellers. The airline reported a 25 per cent increase in US visits to its website in the days following the US broadcast, compared to the same period in the previous week.

News_Image_File: See, kangaroos don’t always box at your face, Phil.

Almost 10 million American viewers watched the show last week with a total global audience of 100 million expected after re-runs, syndication, digital catch-up and DVD sales are factored in.

The airline reportedly spent millions of dollars on its tie-up with the US program and it was handsomely rewarded within the show’s content.

The episode included a segment filmed inside a Qantas plane with the characters spread between different passenger classes. It also featured a Qantas flight attendant in the airline’s spiffy new uniforms as well as other passengers reclined in Qantas’ business class pyjamas in the background.

News_Image_File: Modern Family characters Jay and Gloria in a Qantas plane.

The segment was also led in by a stock shot of a Qantas plane majestically flying through the sky in all its fine livery.

Qantas timed a digital advertising campaign aimed at US Modern Family viewers with the episode’s broadcast. Qantas ads were seeded across sites including online streaming network Hulu where the episode was preceded by a “This show is presented by Qantas” voiceover and a video ad.

The airline has also launched a two-week ‘Modern Down Under’ promotion for American travellers with cheaper airfares for flights for two from Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth and New York.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said in a statement: “This episode gives the world a glimpse of Australian hospitality and culture — which as the national carrier and the biggest private investor in Australian tourism, we are proud to help make happen.

News_Image_File: A little Bondi Beach fun for Phil and Gloria.

“Modern Family rates as our most popular TV program on-board and we’re confident this vacation episode will inspire more people to take the trip down under.”

The special episode also managed to lure in 1.04 million viewers for Channel 10 and was the sixth most watched program in the metro capitals last night, a tremendous feat for a network whose ratings have been the doldrums.

Mr Joyce hoped the popularity of Modern Family domestically will also encourage Australians to see more of their own country.

Two weeks after Modern Family wrapped up filming in Australia, Qantas dominated the news cycle with the airline confessing it would have to slash 5000 jobs to rein in spiralling costs.

At the time, it had to defend the money it had spent on the US TV production. The company said it was comfortable with its investment in Australian tourism and that exposure through partnerships with things like Modern Family and Ellen equals more visitors flying Qantas to Australia.

News_Image_File: Modern Family cast in Australia. Picture: James Morgan.

Previous tourism tie-ups with American pop cultural powerhouses such Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres have proved to be a boon for local tourism. Last year’s visit from DeGeneres saw a 22 per cent increase in inbound flights to NSW.

Other Australian brands who paid to be part of the Modern Family episode included Aussie Bum, Hayman Island and Optus.

While Australians may blanch at clichéd ‘Aussie’ experiences depicted in the episode, Americans seemed to have lapped it up as the Yanks took to social media to declare they wanted to visit Australia. This, really, is what the whole exercise was about.