AUSTRALIAN pop singer Kylie Minogue is the star of a tourism company’s new campaign.
The 51-year-old singer, who delighted crowds at Brighton Pride earlier this year, is part of a musical three-minute advert by Tourism Australia to entice more Brits Down Under.
The commercial premiered on British television on Christmas Day, as millions tuned in for the Queen’s annual address to the nation.
In a musical tribute to their country, which is titled Matesong, Kylie is joined by Australian comedian and TV presenter Adam Hills, who also sings in the lighthearted celebration of Oz.
Australian singer-songwriter Eddie Perfect wrote the original lyrics for the song, which is led by Kylie and features cameo appearances from Australian sporting stars Shane Warne, Ash Barty and Ian Thorpe, model twins Zac and Jordan Stenmark, UK-born chef Darren Robertson from the Brisbane restaurant Three Blue Ducks, and the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars.
Kylie said it was an honour to work alongside Tourism Australia to share her native country with people from her adopted UK home.
She said: “Filming the Matesong music video was literally a dream come true.
“I’ve had the opportunity to see parts of the country I haven’t seen before, as well as to go home and revisit places that I know are beautiful.
“I’m such a proud Australian that I’ve spent most of my life travelling around the world sharing my stories of Australia with anyone who would listen, so I kind of feel like a walking tourism advert for Australia already.”
The video was filmed against a backdrop of locations in Australia, including Byron Bay, the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney and the sacred Aboriginal site of Uluru in the Red Centre region, which Kylie described as “overwhelming, epic and as inspiring as I imagined and dreamed it would be”.
Matesong is the largest investment Tourism Australia has made in the UK in more than a decade, and is intended to mark the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
The song also celebrates the welcoming and friendly Australian spirit, as Kylie sings “Helping a mate is a national trait in Australia.”
The video is part of Tourism Australia’s Philausophy campaign, which describes nine Australian traits and attitudes, including being open, and getting out into nature.
Managing director of Tourism Australia Phillipa Harrison said Christmas Day presented the perfect opportunity to launch the advert and capture the attention of Brits. She said: “The Queen’s annual Christmas speech is a key cultural moment in the UK, with millions tuning in to watch on television and many more online.
“We also know that January in the northern hemisphere winter is a time when many Brits are thinking about an overseas holiday, providing the perfect opportunity to engage with a captive audience and remind them why they should make that next trip Australia.”
The video for Matesong will continue to run on television and in cinemas as well as online, and can be viewed at www.Australia.com/Matesong.
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