SA branded ‘the most boring state ever’ in tourism campaign

Tourism chiefs used taxpayers’ money to pay influencers for the “trip of a lifetime” … getting them to highlight a popular misconception that there’s nothing to do in SA. See the videos.

“Ready to run amok in the most boring state ever?!!”

Tourism chiefs used taxpayers money to pay “influencers” sold as a the “trip of a lifetime”, but it has controversially repeated the sledge that there we are “the most boring state ever”.

The 12 TikTok stars who posted the videos with a focus on the misconception that there is “not really much to do in SA”, were gifted four-day packages worth thousands of dollars to promote SA.

The Opposition – which has also campaigned against the social media campaign that brought singer Sam Smith to SA for a private concert – labelled the TikTok campaign embarrassing.

The 12 TikTokers were provided with the ambiguous introduction which all repeated to their followers; “Ready to run a muck in the most boring state ever? There’s not really much to do in Adelaide is there?”

The apparent sledge is then followed by the revelation via a series of shots and videos that SA is actually an amazing and interesting place to visit.

Only after the Opposition cried foul on the use of the sledge did the South Australian Tourism Commission explain that the idea was to flip on its head a trending social media notion that SA was boring.

To do that the Tiktokers were sent to McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills wineries, Coffin Bay for an oyster tour, strawberry picking at Beerenberg and accommodation at Hotel Indigo in the CBD.

“This form of content typically performs well on TikTok – trending audio is the most important driver of viral content on the platform,” she said.

“The audio of a young man (interviewed with critical comments about SA on TV) already going viral on social platforms at the time, was repurposed and flipped to showcase the best of South Australia and challenge negative, outdated perceptions.”

Opposition Deputy Leader John Gardner slammed the campaign as missing the mark.

“I understand we’ve got to explore new ways to market South Australia to the rest of the world, but I’m not convinced having a dozen influencers calling us ‘the most boring state ever’ is the right way to do this,” he said.

Mr Gardner said the government must reveal how much taxpayer money was spent on the TikTok creator camp.

“South Australians are fighting a cost of living crisis and we cannot afford to have another situation where social media influencers are being chauffeured around the state and living the high life on the taxpayer dime just to shoot a few videos,” he said.

“I’m sure many South Australians who are struggling to pay their power bills and other everyday necessities wouldn’t appreciate their taxpayer dollars going towards TikTokers

running amok and calling us boring.”

State Government hyperbole around the separate Sam Smith concert – at the d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale – included that it reached 1.58 billion people.

The cost of the TikTok camp remains secret, and Treasurer Stephen Mulligan also said the campaign aimed to contradict the original comment that SA was boring.