Face it guys, in many parts of the world Australians are thought of as fair dinkum kangaroo-riding, koala-wielding, shrimp-turning, surfboard-toting cultural cliches dressed in attire only constructed from leather, denim or Steve Irwin khakis. I’ve traveled overseas in the past (what, you’ve never been?) and I still get the whole gday-mate-Fosters-pet-kangaroo-throw-another-shrimp-on-the-barbie-this-is-a-knoife! schtick from people who are well above average intelligence. Whether we actually like it or not, the reductive “blokes and sheilas” stereotype that Australians are subjected to remains the most pervasive perception of Australia, internationally.
With that in mind take a look at Australia’s final official bid presentation to FIFA for hosting the 2022 World Cup, which embraces almost every classic Aussie-ism available. And it wouldn’t be a tourism campaign (because that’s essentially what it is) without sprawling shots of the most stereotypical Australian iconography: the outback, Great Ocean Road, Great Barrier Reef, Bondi Beach, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Count them with me along to the gentle croak of a didgeridoo…
How successful do you think this campaign is – in terms of selling our country to host one of the world’s biggest sporting events?
