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Strange Advertising Method

I just finished reading this article.

There's a Brisbane advertising campaign that's trying to promote Brisbane by promoting suburbs in Sydney.

The article has the video for the Manly one, but according to the article, there are also ones for Newton, Bondi. and Surry Hills.

In the commercial, locals are asked what they like about the particular suburb. They talk about their favorite things and then they express a lack of desire to visit other places.

I guess I can see where they're going with this. Make Sydneysiders realize they're too attached to their particular neighbourhood and make them want to seek out travel adventures.

But there's two things I question.

1. Won't many Sydneysiders watch the video and think Well, I'm not like that. I love my neighbourhood, but that doesn't mean I don't love traveling.

2. If travel-reluctant people do watch the commercial and feel brainwashed into traveling, what's to say they're going to want to visit Brisbane? They might watch the video and say, Hey. Yeah. I should leave Bondi for awhile. I think I'd like to go to Broome.  Or Papa New Guinea? Disney World?

The other thing is, the video is kind of insulting towards people who don't want to travel. Traveling is a wonderful thing...if you can afford it. But there are downsides.  It does leave a carbon footprint, unless you plan to walk.  If there are people out there who are content to stay in their neighbourhood, I'm not going to fault them on that.

Now there is an exception. If someone believes their place is better than any other place, and they're all cocky about that.  Well, then I think they need a wake up call. And traveling MIGHT help with that. Not always, though. Some people learn very little while traveling. We see what we want to see.

Recently I talked to people who had spent weeks in Australia a few years back. They were very surprised when Tim and I mentioned Aboriginal children being taken from their families.  I think they had wanted to see Australia as a sort of utopian society—great beaches, friendly people, perfect government, cute animals, good scuba-diving... NOT stolen children.

Other people might do the opposite. If they want to cling to the idea that their town is better than all others, when they visit elsewhere, they might ignore all the positive and concentrate on the negative.




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