Old Mate ad campaign: SA Tourism Commission secretly filmed third instalment that was later dumped

The South Australian Tourism Commission is in trouble for secretly filming a third instalment of its controversial “Old Mate” campaign. The advert has been scrapped, wasting $15,000 of taxpayers’ money.

• Crying ‘Old Mate’ stars in new tourism campaign for Adelaide — but what do you think?
• Old Mate returns in second SA Tourism Commission ad — and this time he’s looking brighter

The South Australian Tourism Commission has been reprimanded over its decision to secretly film a third instalment of its controversial “Old Mate” campaign.

It has been revealed the commission wasted $15,000 of taxpayers’ money on an unapproved television advertisement featuring “Old Mate” and Adelaide Crows favourite Rory Sloane.

The rogue advert, which was filmed in late October and featured the pair sharing a can of Coca-Cola at Henley Beach, was scrapped soon after it was made.

The State Government axed the advert because it had not been formally approved, was unlikely to coax visitors to SA and it appeared to simply be a free plug for Coca-Cola.

It is believed the idea to include a Coca-Cola can in the advert derived from the soda company independently producing personalised cans, one of which said “Share a Coke with Old Mate”.

The Advertiser understands SATC entered into discussions with Coca-Cola but no formal agreement had been made and the company had not provided any funding for the advert.

Mr Lucas told The Advertiser the tourism commission “got it wrong” and its actions amounted to “unacceptable practice”.

The 'Old Mate' campaign has received a mixed response.

“There are established processes that all government agencies are required to follow,” he said.

“Any communications program has to have approval from the Government Communications Advisory Committee.

“On this occasion, (the SATC) erred. They should have gotten approval and they didn’t and as a result of that they have gotten a rocket from me.

“They got a very clear message that it was an unacceptable practice.”

Mr Lucas confirmed the committee, which he chairs, also scrapped the advert over concerns it would be ineffective and simply served to promote Coca-Cola.

“We were not provided with sufficient evidence that this would drive visitor numbers to South Australia,” he said.

“We believed it could be seen as a promotion of a multibillion-dollar brand.”

Mr Lucas said the SATC provided an excuse for surging ahead with the unapproved advert but it “wasn’t a sufficient explanation”.

“Their attempted explanation was that they needed to move quickly and they moved quickly,” he said.

Mr Lucas was quick to point out that the committee was “generally very happy” with the commission’s previous advertising campaigns.

However, Opposition treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan said the Government only had itself to blame for the debacle.

“Rob Lucas...put himself in charge of all government advertising,” he said.

“It was his responsibility to know this was going on...and his process has failed and it has cost taxpayers $15,000 in wasted money.

“This is what happens when you get a Victorian company the contract for a South Australian tourism campaign.

“(Premier) Steven Marshall needs to realise we are the wine state and not the coke state.”

Mr Mullighan called on Mr Marshall to remove Mr Lucas from the committee.

The Old Mate campaign has been shrouded in controversy since it debuted on screens in September.

The Commission’s first advert in the Old Mate campaign featured a man in his 70s visiting various tourism attractions across SA.

His joy at exploring the state slowly turned to sadness as he realised he left his first visit too late in life.

The advert finished with a voiceover saying “Don’t feel sorry for Old Mate — It’s his own damn fault he didn’t visit Adelaide sooner”.

The campaign — aimed at middle-aged prospective interstate visitors — was widely criticised, with the Council on the Ageing slamming it for using a “pathetic old” stereotype while the Opposition blasted the use of a Melbourne advertising agency.

The second instalment of the campaign premiered a few weeks later.

Set to the Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’, Old Mate and his friends hit the town, visiting laneways such as Peel St as well as Henley Square and Sellicks Beach.

But the advert continues the sadness theme.

Old Mate’s mates are seen looking a little upset towards the end and then a voiceover can be heard saying “Don’t feel sorry for Old Mate’s mates, it’s their damn fault they didn’t visit Adelaide sooner”.

But their anguish is only fleeting, as they continue to soak up the atmosphere of the city’s small bar scene.