You probably know Baz Luhrmann by reputation, if not by name. He directed Strictly Ballroom, a tribute to the art of dance; Romeo + Juliet, his altar to the written word; and Moulin Rouge!, a garish but dazzling musical homage to pop culture.
He’s just completed his latest film, Australia. I don’t know much about it, but — here’s an interesting twist — he’s promoting it through a tourism gig.
DDB Worldwide — which represents Tourism Australia — tapped Lurhmann for its “Come Walkabout” campaign, which is technically for Australia but also for Australia. In the debut spot, a mystical (and naked?) little boy encourages a stressed woman to defect from her unraveling life.
“Sometimes we have to get lost to find ourselves,” he whispers as she sleeps. “Sometimes … we gotta go walkabout.” In scenes to follow, she and her estranged lover are reunited by the sensual, childlike thrall of Australia. Tiny copy describes the transformation: “She arrived as Ms. K Mathieson, Executive VP of Sales. She departed as Kate.”
Come walkabout, the ad whispers in conclusion.
It’s cheesy but it works, a trick Luhrmann habitually plays on a jaded culture. I like it, in part because there’s so much of him in it. He’s spent most of his career blurring invisible lines — between film and Broadway, cinematic storytelling and the written word, high culture and pop culture.
In “Come Walkabout,” I’d say he brings tourism — a wince-worthy market driven by cheap gimmicks — to a worthier place. The spot doesn’t attack us with shots of Australia’s landmarks, or with swanky tourists laughing and clinking glasses. It moves slowly; it captivates.
It also turns a common problem into a character-driven narrative: why do we forsake our well-being for jobs that demand more and more of us? A vacation (to Australia!) brings stressed professionals back to equilibrium — and back on a first-name basis, absolved of titles, with loved ones.
See Steve’s take. (He’s also got a link to the second ad.)
