Adelaide’s new tourism ad is off the planet
Let me reassure you now. As a resident of Adelaide for 27 years, I never saw anyone floating around in a space suit – except during Fringe time.
The third in a series of arty commercials by ad agency KWP! for South Australia has launched online focusing (apparently) on the city of Adelaide.
Adelaide: Breathe – features an astronaut, fast cut, slow-motion dream-like scenes, and a trippy cover version of the INXS hit, “Never Tear Us Apart” by local Emma Louise – the space person is her alter ego.
It’s very esoteric. There’s no clear picture of Adelaide, you learn nothing, except maybe that the locals like splashing wine around and have birds. There’s not even a clear story, and whether it’s enough to piqué your curiosity about the city, rather than just confuse – you tell me.
The previous two ads in the series, for Kangaroo Island and the Barossa wine region, have been very successful – both within the industry and also in terms of increased tourism spend.
But on Breathe, opinions so far are mixed. Nonsensical, pretentious trollop say some, others think it’s progressive marketing designed to get younger people talking – and in that respect it’s worked.
The best thing about Adelaide city at the moment is the buzz, the feeling that something is finally happening and this ad goes some way to capturing that.
So will the ad have the desired effect? Referencing the Back to the Future DeLorean at the beginning suggests that the city is in the future (hopefully not the past!).
The progressive arty look and feel of the commercial is something the South Australian Tourism Commission has been cultivating for Adelaide – and it seems to be working.
The risk is that it’ll just go over people’s heads, that people will talk about the ad and not the subject (that would be Adelaide – not the space man).
Breathe has gone one hipster slow-mo berry eating frame too far, but it’s better than a boring overview of landscapes and landmarks set to the tune of a conventional pop hit.
As for the astronaut, aside from being an alter ego, it’s worth remembering South Australia was home to Australia’s first astronaut – Andy Thomas. A pioneering local – perhaps a person with the same kind of spirit KWP! is targeting with this ad.
What do you think? Does this ad make you want to visit South Australia?