That’s Just Beachy
Back in the dark depths of January we blogged about the interesting new campaign from Queensland Tourism, which advertised the best job in the world - caretaker of a tropical island for six months, with job responsibilities including: scuba diving and blogging. This week, the campaign got another boost in the news. First - the lucky guy (I wanted to use stronger language, but this is a family blog) who was hired for the job was announced. Ben Southall. Remember that name the next time you’re having a bad day.
Second, the campaign won Best of Show at the One Show in New York this week and I can see it cropping up in the other award shows this season too. While it’s a great creative leap and lovely idea, I was most impressed with it’s effectiveness too. The campaign cost $1 million to produce and run and has generated $150 million in global PR coverage for the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The announcement of the winner was carried live by 70 news organizations around the world, allowing millions of people to immediately feel sorrier about their lot in life. Well done to all involved (apart from Ben Southall).
May 8th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Talk about ROI.
This copycat wouldn’t be half-bad either: http://www.areallygoodejob.com/overview.aspx
May 10th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
I really can’t tell if this is a new, evoloution of reality programming getting ready to explode or if it’s a modern version of The Price is Right where brands pay to have their products “won”.
May 11th, 2009 at 10:51 am
It’s an interesting concept and perfect timing given the trends of economic news. Also, the promotion has legs beyond the initial release. Not only has Tourism Queensland positioned the islands a “great escape”, but provided the opportunity to create a community that follows Ben’s adventures on the islands. If played correctly, this could prove to be an ongoing series for Queensland – An online version of leisurely Survivor (except everyday is the result of a rewards challenge).
May 11th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Indeed, following Ben’s adventures is absolutely part of the appeal. I would imagine that they would get a spike in interest if he suffered some form of calamity (such as a sting from a jelly fish or a bite on the toe from a large crab). Maybe Tourism Queensland have a series of challenges in mind that weren’t part of the original job description. Now that would make it interesting.