The Gruen Transfer pitches for Asbestos, Canada
Ahead of their screening on ABC-TV’s The Gruen Transfer tonight, pitches from two Australian ad agencies have created a media storm far away in a tiny mining town in Canada – and created an international online debate. In THE PITCH Cooch (Perth) and Ursa (Sydney) were asked to sell the unsellable – try to attract international tourists to the remote French Canadian province of Asbestos. The agencies took two different approaches; Ron Samuel from Cooch believes most holiday destinations are made after extensive internet research and encourages tourists to a website, while Denis Mamo from Ursa suggests that other towns around the world with similar bad names such as Dildo, Newfoundland; Accident, Maryland; Puke, Albania and Boring, Oregon should adopt the slogan ‘Bad Name, Great Destination.’
The show was taped last Wednesday night however the Pitch segments were uploaded early to attract some online attention and the Canadian Press wire service immediately started to report on the light-hearted pitch segments, which were picked up by the CBC radio and television and major newspapers around the country.
Cooch’s Samuel did several interviews over the weekend with the Canadian media outlining his pitch and his willingness to meet with the local councillor of Asbestos, Alain Roy, who, in an earlier interview with a British newspaper said; We would be happy to welcome tourists to tell them the truth about who we are.”
One of the comments left online read; “It’s funny but unrealist (sic). I’m the President of the Chamber of Commerce and I can affirm that first we don’t have a tourist problem and second, we are healthy people”
5 Comments
International online debate, you say?
Weblinks we say.
The guy that makes the most sense on this show (in my opinion) is the one sitting next to that planner guy from the ‘I’m so excited’ video. The Cooch strategy and ad was a lot better than the competing ‘joke’. Although Russel was right about the pointless seat belt awareness ad in the next segment.
Good to see Ron’s devilish grin on the telly.
Nice one Kitcho – funny stuff!
One series too many imo. Oh and my ma-in-law and her retiree friends have gone from thinking that fella who did that ‘so excited’ video is hot to completely up ‘imself. Not my words just a 70 yo member of an older consumer demographic.