Watch: Tourism Australia’s new campaign starring Lincoln Lewis, Nick Cummins and Teigan Nash

WE’VE got no end of gorgeous scenery and experiences — but the nation’s latest tourism campaign highlights the one thing Aussies keep getting wrong.

WE’VE got no end of gorgeous scenery and breathtaking experiences, but there’s one thing Aussies haven’t exactly nailed: naming stuff.

Tourism Australia’s latest ad campaign, released today, pokes fun at some of the nation’s most embarrassing place names.

 

Mount Fanny, Shag Island and Sudden Jerk all rate a mention in the latest video, designed to appeal to young travellers. And yes, awkwardly, they’re all actual Aussie places.

Instead of simply bragging about our beautiful beaches, great weather and incredible tourist attractions, the tourism body opted for a less traditional approach to its latest campaign, with a series of tongue in cheek videos being rolled out via social media.

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“We’re fun, and the rest of the world things we’re pretty damn awesome, but why do we suck so badly at naming places?” asks former Home and Away actor Lincoln Lewis in a video clip filmed on Western Australia’s Cable Beach.

Lincoln Lewis at Cable Beach, WA. Picture: Tourism Australia

The $5 million tourism campaign also stars rugby player Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins and TV presenter Teigan Nash.

In the first videos to be rolled out as part of the campaign, Cummins takes to the sky to “investigate” what it’s like to do a pub crawl by helicopter in the Northern Territory, and Nash discovers a “castaway” on a Queensland beach.

Over the coming months, the trio will travel around Australia reporting on their adventures for a Facebook and Instagram channel called “Aussie News Today”.

 

 

 

The channel promises everything from “all the details when a koala goes shopping” to being “on the scene when a crocodile eats a man’s hat”.

The stars will visit attractions from Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, to Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, to Karijini National Park in the Pilbara.

Their itineraries are tipped to include shark cage diving at Port Lincoln in South Australia, sand boarding at Port Stephens in New South Wales and searching for the aurora australis in Tasmania.

Meanwhile, eight young travellers and aspiring social media stars from Europe are also being sent on a three-month road trip around Australia to report on their experiences.

Nick Cummins at Crocosaurus Cove, NT. Picture: Tourism Australia

And ordinary Aussies are being urged to get involved with the campaign by suggesting what the stars of the campaign should see and do as they showcase the nation.

“We’ll be encouraging Australians and local tourism businesses with a great story idea or content to share it with us on social media using the #AussieNewsToday campaign hashtag,” says Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan.

“We will curate the ‘best of the best’ and feature it in the campaign.”

The more fun and quirky the idea, the better chance it’ll have of featuring.

“This campaign is all about making people smile, and sharing unique Australian experiences with young people around the world,” O’Sullivan says.

 

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