Some people believe that the future of advertising lies in consumers being able to pick the ads they want to watch on television or on the internet. Do you agree?

In late February 2006, the Hon. Fran Bailey, Australia’s Minister for Small Business and Tourism, unveiled the US$180 million ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’ marketing campaign in markets around the world. The campaign was developed specifically for international markets with the intention of showcasing the tourism assets of the entire country. Australia is well known for its personality and character, and this campaign was developed to extend an invitation to motivate people to visit Australia now. In an increasingly competitive and tough commercial environment, Tourism Australia feels its advertising must be ‘bold, aggressive and distinctive’ to grab consumer attention. But it must do this while remaining authentic and distinctively Australian. Tourism is very important to Australia. In 2005, it generated more than 500,000 jobs across the country and delivered more than AUS$17 billion to the national economy, from inbound tourists alone.
The adverts, created by the Sydney office of the London headquartered advertising agency M&C Saatchi, featured images of Australians ‘preparing’ for visitors to their country.
The television ad begins in an outback pub with the barkeeper saying, ‘We’ve poured you a beer’. Further imagery to a similar effect is then shown, including a young boy on the beach saying, ‘We’ve got the sharks out of the pool,’ and partygoers watching Sydney harbour fireworks saying, ‘We’ve turned on the lights’. The advert ends with bikini-clad model Lara Bingle stepping out of the sea and asking, ‘So where the bloody hell are you?’