It’s been rumoured for weeks to be nothing more than an advertising campaign for Tourism Australia.
And new, a star-studded Crocodile Dundee-inspired TV commercial has aired for a potential 110 million Super Bowl viewers in the US as part of a record $A38 million Tourism Australia campaign targeting American travellers.
The mock movie trailer is the tourism body’s biggest single advertising US advertising campaign since Paul Hogan’s Come Say G’Day ads in the 1980s.
That’s not an ad, this is an ad! $38 million Dundee commercial featuring Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie airs during the Super Bowl
It is the federal government’s most ambitious and expensive tourism campaign for a single overseas market.
Most advertisers paid US TV network NBC around $US5 million for a single 30 second slot in Sunday’s clash between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tourism Australia, however, negotiated a two-year $A15 million deal with NBC for the Super Bowl spot and other opportunities using NBC’s vast platform.
Son of Dundee: The faux movie trailer stars US comedian Danny McBride
Advertising campaign: The new Super Bowl ad is a continuation of faux trailers that have emerged online in recent weeks to make it appear a Crocodile Dundee film sequel would soon land in cinemas
The Dundee: The Son of a Legend Returns Home ads, starring Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman and Margot Robbie, are the central plank of Tourism Australia’s $US27 million campaign designed to make Australia the most desired destination to visit among US travellers by 2020.
American comedic actor Danny McBride plays the central role in the ads as Dundee’s long lost doofus son returning to the outback to save his dad.
In the Super Bowl ad Hemsworth takes McBride to see ‘37,000 miles of pristine beach, mate,’ and taste ‘some of the finest wines in the entire world’.
He’s back! The Super Bowl ad features a humorous appearance by the original Crocodile Dundee Paul Hogan
Catching bad guys: Ruby Rose stars in the advertising campaign as a cop
As they sit at a Sydney harbourside restaurant it finally clicks with McBride he is in a tourism commercial and won’t be the star of a Crocodile Dundee film.
‘Yes, but listen,’ Hemsworth, trying to calm McBride, said.
‘You’re the best Crocodile Dundee since Crocodile Dundee.’
The camera then crosses to a disapproving Hogan sitting at the bar holding a schooner of beer.
Tough lady: Margot Robbie plays a tough-talking outback woman
Life imitating art? Chris’ younger brother Liam plays a hippy surfer
Man in charge: Hugh Jackman plays Australia’s prime minister in the faux movie trailer
The new Super Bowl ad is a continuation of faux trailers that have emerged online in recent weeks to make it appear a Crocodile Dundee film sequel would soon land in cinemas.
The Super Bowl ad features a humorous appearance by the original Crocodile Dundee Paul Hogan, who also headed Australia’s successful “shrimp on the barbie” tourism ads of the 1980s.
Russell Crowe, Ruby Rose, Isla Fisher, Liam Hemsworth, Isla Fisher, Luke Bracey and Jessica Mauboy also appear in the ads and faux trailers.
Making an appearance: Russell Crowe also features briefly
The Super Bowl is by far the biggest TV broadcast in the US each year with last year’s drawing 111.3 million viewers.
Tourism Australia said the campaign, before the Super Bowl ad aired, already had a social media reach of 412 million people, the faux trailers were viewed 68.8 million times and double the number of any other Super Bowl ad online.
Star power: Isla Fisher also stars in the advertising campaign as a vet