The 'ad campaign' you may have seen for the past few days is not a meme... but it's also NOT an actual ad campaign. It's a clever bunch of people with a bawdy sense of humour creating a slogan, a logo, a clothing line... and a whole bunch of controversy.
In any case, the whole thing has now gone viral.
It's controversial, yes... but not for reasons you may think.
It is in fact NOT affiliated with the government body Tourism NT.
And now, the Northern Territory’s government is considering legal action over the controversial travel merchandise spruiking the Top End as a tourist destination.
A group called NT Official — which has no connection to the government’s actual tourism arm, Tourism NT — is selling shirts and souvenirs emblazoned with the words “CU in the NT”. Here is their site and the merch they are selling.
Interestingly, the identities of the people behind the campaign are yet to be revealed, however, in a statement, they described NT Official as a “guerilla group of people with the aim of promoting travel awareness to the NT region, specifically targeting younger markets”.
Their design has been met with lots of positivity on followers of their Facebook page - but also some hate.
The Facebook page also features beautiful photos of the NT. See their Facebook page HERE.
In any case, the whole thing has now gone viral.
It's controversial, yes... but not for reasons you may think.
It is in fact NOT affiliated with the government body Tourism NT.
And now, the Northern Territory’s government is considering legal action over the controversial travel merchandise spruiking the Top End as a tourist destination.
A group called NT Official — which has no connection to the government’s actual tourism arm, Tourism NT — is selling shirts and souvenirs emblazoned with the words “CU in the NT”. Here is their site and the merch they are selling.
And so, the issue is not the slogan - but the use of official Tourism NT photos for commercial purposes without proper attribution. The design is very similar to the Territory’s official “Brolga” logo... but it’s different enough to avoid infringing trademark laws.
Here is that Brolga logo we know:
Interestingly, the identities of the people behind the campaign are yet to be revealed, however, in a statement, they described NT Official as a “guerilla group of people with the aim of promoting travel awareness to the NT region, specifically targeting younger markets”.
Their design has been met with lots of positivity on followers of their Facebook page - but also some hate.
The Facebook page also features beautiful photos of the NT. See their Facebook page HERE.
Tourism NT also issued the following statement yesterday:
Tourism NT has no connection and is no way affiliated with the website or Facebook page of NTOfficial.com or any of their promotions.
And on the NT Official page, this disclaimer at the bottom:
NTofficial.com is NOT affiliated with, endorsed, associated with or sponsored by any government or official NT tourism organisations or their associated brands, companies or subsidiaries. We're just some lovers of the top end, spreading love for our favourite territory!
According to this article, NT Government is hoping it can lure European backpackers from Bali with the promise of a Top End adventure.
It says:
In the face of dwindling international visitors from the UK, France and Germany, the Government has launched a new campaign to target Bali-bound travellers and convince them to tack on a trip to Darwin.
As the Territory's resources-driven economy slows, the tourism industry, which is the Territory's biggest employer, is being looked at to fill the economic hole.
Tourism NT data has revealed tourist numbers have been in decline since 2000.
Backpacker numbers have been particularly dire across Australia, and the campaign will target European backpackers already planning trips to Bali.
"We know Bali is a backpacker hotspot and there are many similarities between it and Darwin with both having a thriving nightlife, tropical weather and adventurous activities" NT Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Adam Giles said.
"But there is much more the Northern Territory can offer that Bali simply can't, including our rich Indigenous culture, spectacular natural landmarks like Ubirr lookout in Kakadu, epic outback road trips and the spectacular jumping crocodiles at Adelaide River."
The article adds that Mr Giles states that more than 400,000 European tourists visit Bali each year, but most are not aware Darwin is only two-and-a-half hours away by plane.
And:
In its 2020 Vision report, Tourism NT stated that the economy relied on the tourism sector far more than the rest of Australia.
The Territory Government is hoping to grow tourism to a $2.2 billion industry by 2020.
Plus:
Mr Giles said he would also lobby the Federal Government to rethink its approach on how backpackers are taxed while working in Australia.
Interesting! Will this cheeky NT Official help in creating a whole new awareness to the region?