Australia makes music with tourism marketing

Music is a powerful force. When combined with breathtaking scenery and created using local music stars of all kinds it becomes a unique and powerful piece of content marketing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHYnkWjApiU&feature=player_embedded

Icehouse, Qantas and Tourism Australian have teamed up to create a wonderful version of “Great Southern Land”, one of Icehouse’s coolest hits and written on a Qantas Jet over that southern land, Australia.

By combining an iconic Aussie band in Icehouse with an evocative song sung by local musicians of all kinds from classical to folk along with jaw dropping landscapes Tourism Australia have hit the mark. It uses the fact that the song is 30 years old to capture the imagination of the inspiring land and remind everyone that Icehouse are still around!

Anyone who watches the video will want to experience this great southern land and mission is accomplished and probably buy Icehouse’s Greatest Hits too (Their “Meltdown” remix album is a great alternative if you want something more contemporary….).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG7wbAfcKUI&feature=player_embedded

It follows the Sydney Opera House’s spine tingling marketing video using the same technique of a cover of Aussie icon Nick Cave’s “Ship Song”. The Sydney Opera House used all kinds of Australian musicians and included everyone who used the Opera House from ballet to opera, comedy to dance. It took 10 months to make but is so much better than the original and has a lasting positive effect on the brand.

Telstra even got into the act producing one centered around Men at Work’s iconic song “Down Under” which was supposed to inspire their Olympic team…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8sFivSpys&feature=player_embedded

Of course this is not new in the world of marketing with the BBC creating something very similar for their BBC Radio brand marketing purposes with Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day. However it is the first I have seen of a tourism body combining culture, heritage, sights and sounds, people of all walks of life with unique content who’s roots are firmly based on the brand proposition itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2JXy1Z9ovs