Tourism Australia showcases exhibition at Waterloo Tube station

by Julia Pearlman, Brand Republic 18-Mar-05, 15:30

LONDON - Waterloo Underground station is being transformed into an Australian art gallery as part of a global advertising campaign by Tourism Australia to inspire more people to visit the country.

The campaign, "Rankin's Australia, a different light", features the work of renowned photographer Rankin and will complete Tourism Australia's £4m spend over the past 12 months, which has included radio, TV and print ads.

Ad agency Grey London and media buyer MediaCom are integrating the photography exhibition into an advertising initiative at the London station, featuring a SuperArch and eight posters with 20 images of Australian landscapes, people and animals along the Jubilee Line travelator.

Dazed & Confused co-founder Rankin has photographed a wide variety of famous subjects earning himself the reputation of "photographer to the stars", as well as a number of ad campaigns including Ogilvy & Mather's recent poster work for Dove's "real women" campaign, which featured a 96-year-old great grandmother.

According to Rankin: "Arriving in Australia for the first time, I was struck by the clarity of the light. It seems to permeate everything from the vivid colours of the outback to the way people live their lives in a carefree way."

He added that he wanted the photographs to capture the spirit of Australia.

"I discovered, capturing the mood Down Under rather than showcasing individual locations," he said.

Tourism Australia's new radio ads will air on Classic FM, Virgin, One Word and Jazz FM for five weeks from April 11. In the two-minute slots Australian authors, including Don George and Ashley Hay, will read from their own stories describing Australian experiences.

The TV campaign will run from April 3 to 23 on terrestrial and satellite channels, featuring 30-second ads with Australian singer Delta Goodrem.

Print ads will appear in prime positions in weekend supplements and travel titles from mid April until the end of May.

The pictures will be on display at Waterloo between March 28 and April 24.

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