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Australian pop icon, Kylie Minogue, invites Brits Down Under.

Australian pop icon, Kylie Minogue, delivered a special message to the  United Kingdom  (UK) on Christmas Day 2019, as part of a new $15 million Tourism Australia  campaign ,  titled  Matesong,  aimed at enticing more Brits Down Under. 

This is the largest investment Tourism Australia has made in the UK in more than a decade.

At a time of uncertainty in the UK, the light-hearted musical tribute represents a symbolic hand of friendship from Australia that warmly celebrates the deep and longstanding ties that exist between the two countries.

Kylie Minogue and Adam Hills, Matesong © Tourism Australia

Matesong  premiered on British television directly before the Queen’s annual Christmas Day address.

The UK is one of Australia’s largest and most important inbound markets and is the first activation of  Tourism Australia’s recently launched  aus ophy">Come Live Our Phil aus ophy   campaign.

Matesong factsheet

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We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners of the land, sea and waters of the Australian continent, and recognise their custodianship of culture and Country for over 60,000 years.

*Disclaimer:  The information on this website is presented in good faith and on the basis that Tourism Australia, nor their agents or employees, are liable (whether by reason of error, omission, negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any statement, information or advice given in this website. Tourism Australia wishes to advise people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent that this website may contain images of persons now deceased.

Kylie Minogue paid $1 million for Tourism Australia ad that never aired

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Kylie Minogue's travel campaign has no audience now international travel is on hold. Photo / YouTube

Kylie Minogue was paid nearly $1 million for the Matesong tourism campaign to attract British tourists to Australia before it was "paused" after just 10 days on-air.

New contract details obtained by news.com.au reveal the pop singer pocketed $935,000 (NZ$1m) in "talent fees" for the now- redundant tourism advertisement.

READ MORE: • Kylie Minogue posts epic 1997 throwback video • Kylie Minogue's stunning blast from the past in new tourism advert • Kylie Minogue donates $500,000 to Australian bush fire relief effort • Tearful Kylie Minogue plays Glastonbury 14 years after cancer forced dropout

But with international travel now suspended until a Covid-19 vaccine is found, there's little prospect the three-minute music video featuring koalas, quokkas, Uluru, skinny dipping beachgoers and cricketer Shane Warne, will air again anytime soon.

Minogue's contract runs until June 2020, but it's not clear what the ongoing commitments involved after she finished filming the ad.

And unlike "tradie" Scott Cam, who came in for a barrage of criticism for his $347,000 (NZ$375,000) trades ambassadorship after it was revealed he had provided just four social media posts and three videos, it's not clear whether Minogue has agreed to refund a portion of her fee.

Cam announced in April he would give up the remaining portion of his taxpayer-funded salary - around $172,000 (NZ$185,000) - because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Minogue has described the filming of the tourism advertisements as "a dream come true" which included her first-ever visit to Uluru in the Northern Territory.

But the campaign, which was budgeted to cost $15 million, will likely go down as one of the most expensive white elephants in the history of Tourism Australia. The $935,000 in cash was paid to the Melbourne-based KDB Pty Ltd.

ASIC records confirm that KDB Pty Ltd is a Victorian company that has represented Minogue for over 30 years.

Her mother and father, Carol and Ron Minogue, and brother, Brendan Minogue, are all officeholders in the company that was founded in 1987, the same year her first hit Locomotion was released in Australia. The blockbuster Matesong campaign first went to air in Britain over Christmas but was pulled from broadcast during the devastating summer bushfires.

"In light of the current situation in Australia, we have reduced some of our campaign activity in the UK. We will continue to review our planned activity over the coming weeks and months," a Tourism Australia spokesperson said.

"As the Australian government agency responsible for attracting tourists to our country, Tourism Australia will have an important role to play in highlighting that Australia will continue to be a world-leading and safe tourism destination, whether in unaffected regions or those that will recover from these bushfires in the months and years to come."

Earlier, Tourism Australia had urged tourists to still consider travelling down under over summer, if it was safe to do so.

"While bushfires continue to impact parts of Australia, many areas are unaffected and most tourism businesses are still open," it said.

But the sharp drop in tourism over summer is now being speculated upon as one of the reasons behind Australia's success in avoiding a major outbreak.

Because of the bushfires, thousands of tourists from across the world delayed their travels over summer, unwittingly helping to protect the nation from the coronavirus as it began to spread across the globe.

But if Minogue is interested, there could be another opportunity in the wings with Prime Minister Scott Morrison hinting on Friday that a holiday-at-home tourism campaign might be next on the agenda.

"As the borders fall internally, Australians can hopefully soon return to domestic holidays and to move around the country more widely, and particularly with school holidays coming up again in July," the Prime Minister said.

"We are reminded that the net tourism imports to Australia is just over $20 billion a year. That means that after you take account of international tourists coming here and Australians going overseas, there is a net import factor of just over $20 billion.

"Now, that's up for grabs for Australian domestic tourism operators. Australians who might otherwise go elsewhere. That is a very large market and that will be targeted."

Morrison worked for Tourism Australia as managing director before his $350,000-a-year contract (NZ$378,000) was terminated after he reportedly clashed with then Tourism Minister Fran Bailey.

At the time, the Howard Government praised his work and refused to comment on the circumstances of his departure but praised his work including his involvement in the famous Lara Bingle campaign "So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?".

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Hey Kylie Minogue, mate, this new song for Tourism Australia seems a little off

As a long time fan of Kylie Minogue (and sending special - special - love to the woman who sent me Locomotion when I was surrounded by excitable toddlers), I adore and respect everything she does, although I would prefer to be screening her partners.

Now, however, I find myself in the unenviable position of factchecking Queen Kylie's latest contribution to the national culture. I'm only doing this because it's a public service. Also, FYI, she's really a foreigner, well if not a foreigner then certainly an enthusiastic expatriate.

On Christmas Day, just before the Queen's message, our own expat queen launched Matesong , part of Tourism Australia's Philausophy campaign. As with anything Kylie, it's utterly captivating. She is ageless, glorious, triumphant. Unlike Queen Victoria, she's also fun.

The lyrics are puzzling. They begin with the admission that the year's been tough and confusing. She's right about that - but it was no worse in Brexiting Britain than here in Australia where just this week, we have a politician in government tell us he wants government out of his life . Talk about tough and confusing. What's even more confusing is that Barnaby Joyce's electorate continues to vote for him.

A couple of lines further down, Kylie tells the Brits (the principal audience for this advertisement) that all of Australia loves you and "we'll never judge you". Ok no. While once that might have been the case, a procession of Royal catastrophes has made Australians much more sceptical about the monarchy, a metonym for all things British. May 2018 research shows a distinct uptick in republican sentiment and that's before the recent Andrew horror show. Who knows what this January will bring? The Essential researchers are back in the field next week.

As Peter FitzSimons, chair of the Australian Republican Movement says, "Sure, we like the Brits but it is no longer the strong kinship of blood that it was. And while common love of and loyalty to the Crown was initially the key founding plank of the Australian Federation, these days we've mostly outgrown that colonial mentality. We are us, they are them and we wish them well!"

The timing of Matesong is also a little off. No, it's not because it's in 3/4 time but because it's fire time. Kylie assures Britons that in Australia we can turn off the news. Not on your nelly (or even on your Lenny, little Neighbours joke there). And definitely not this summer. Most of us have been transfixed by the news because it's also our emergency broadcaster. Our nation is ablaze. If we turned off the news, we'd be scorched earth or worse.

Speaking of scorched earth, Queen Kylie advises Britons that here in Australia we can kick off our shoes. Has she been here since our daily temperature records were smashed into tiny pieces? The bitumen's melting. There are a significantly increased number of "pavement-street burns", as a result of increased ambient temperatures. That might be a US study but it's not getting any cooler here!

Which reminds me, quokkas. Yes, unbearably cute. But let's remember that quokkas, adorable as they are, are suffering. Mainland populations of quokkas have shrunk, with some estimates saying the area of occupancy has halved. The World Wildlife Fund says distributions look to be affected by climatic factors and predation by foxes and feral cats. As for the impressive marsupials of which Kylie sings, doubt they've survived the recent bushfires.

I personally have no interest in describing the United Kingdom as glorious, nor in being a wing-woman for a country which just elected Boris Johnson, a giant stuff up if ever there was one. While we've elected our own special weirdos (note the politician who doesn't like governments), we aren't like the British and it's more than our vowels. We prefer coffee to tea , among our more trivial differences and we take many more migrants from India and China than we do from the UK. Not that you'd know that from the Matesong advertisement. The stars of this particular ad are whiter than white.

Chelsea Bond, a social scientist at the University of Queensland, describes the use of Aboriginal people in Matesong as fulfilling all the tourist tropes of blackness in Australia: entertaining, exceptional, exotic.

"We can sell our country in all kinds of ways but we can't pride ourselves on the values of our nation," she says. "The ad is a white fantasy, from Neighbours to Shane Warne."

Look, the ad is fun and singable if you don't care about the truth but it's not really what Australians are about any more. We might clear the heads of visiting Britons but we certainly won't be clearing those airways - the images of the Sydney Harbour Bridge can't have been shot during our recent days with near zero visibility. (But it did make me homesick for the air we used to breathe.)

Plus I hate the idea of sucking up to people who think they're "above us". Where's our collective backbone and traditional resistance to authority? That's what makes Australia loveable, not a desire for approval from citizens of a country, where the major export is drunken backpackers with terrible sunburn.

• Jenna Price is a regular columnist and an academic at the University of Technology Sydney.

Jenna Price

Jenna Price is a Canberra Times columnist and a visiting fellow at the Australian National University.

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Tourism Australia has pulled its new TV advert featuring Kylie Minogue amid the worsening bush fire crisis.

The Aussie pop star was brought in to front a $15million advertising campaign for her home nation, for which she recorded a single "Matesong" designed to entice UK tourists down under.

However just weeks after first airing over the Christmas break, the national tourism body has decided to hit pause on the three-minute music video.

As Australia's bush fire crisis worsens it was decided that it was inappropriate to be advertising the destination during what has become the country's deadliest wild fire event.

24 lives have been claimed along with hundreds of hectares of land and engulfed entire communities, leaving people homeless during the Christmas holiday season.

"The number one priority right now continues to be the emergency response to these devastating bushfires and the safety of communities and tourists in affected areas," a spokesperson for the UK branch of Tourism Australia told the   Daily Mail.

"In light of the current situation in Australia, we have reduced some of our campaign activity in the UK," she said.

"We will continue to review our planned activity over the coming weeks and months."

"As the Australian Government agency responsible for attracting tourists to our country, Tourism Australia will have an important role to play in highlighting that Australia will continue to be a world-leading and safe tourism destination, whether in unaffected regions or those that will recover from these bushfires in the months and years to come."

The advert which was designed to lure post-Brexit Brits to visit Australia was filmed across a number of popular destinations including Byron Bay and Northern Territory's Uluru. Rhyming "trade negotiation shocker" with "quokka", the music video riffed off timely humour for its UK audience but failed to see the growing bush fire crisis as a problem.

The UK based musician who rose to fame in the soap opera   Neighbours   described filming the video as "a dream come true," which gave her the "opportunity to see parts of the country I haven't seen before." The pop star admitted having never visited Uluru before the shoot.

However, the video which was filmed earlier in the year premiered on UK television on Christmas Day, at the same time as bush fires ravaged the country.

Though it was decided that the advert was no longer appropriate given the current crisis, Tourism Australia said that their "sympathies go out to the families and communities who are impacted by the fires," and parts of the country would continue to welcome tourists.

In a statement released following the advertising campaign, the tourism body said: "our gratitude grows stronger by the day for the front line services facing the fires head on." "Whilst bushfires continue to impact parts of Australia, many areas are unaffected and most tourism businesses are still open.

"It is more important than ever that we rally around our communities and the tourism sector who may have been impacted.

"We would encourage all travellers coming to Australia to seek the most up to date information prior to departure, and remain informed about changing conditions whilst on the ground."

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Kylie Minogue leads a star-studded campaign to convince your mates to visit Australia

Kylie Minogue delivered her own speech (well, song) ahead of the Queen’s Christmas Day Message yesterday encouraging Brits to take a break after a “tough and confusing” year and visit Australia.

The musical tribute, called Matesong , is Tourism Australia’s latest advertising campaign aimed at UK residents who might want to trade in the bad weather for some backyard cricket.

Performed by Kylie, with a bunch of cameos from Adam Hills, Shane Warne, Ash Barty, Ian Thorpe, Jordan and Zac Stenmark, Darren Robertson and the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, the song celebrates the long-standing ties between the two countries and reminds Brits — in typical-Australian style — that we’re always here for them.

Airing on ITV ahead of the Queen’s televised annual address, the campaign starts off with a regal-looking Kylie singing from Sandringham — the Melbourne suburb, not the royal residence — before showing off all of the amazing things that make this country great (biased, us?) including the beaches, the ocean, the landscapes, the food, the people and, of course, the quokkas!

While the delivery might be joyful and humorous, the sentiment is real and heartfelt: mateship is at the heart of Australia and, as someone who’s lived in both places, Kylie is the perfect person to bring the campaign to life.

“Who better to deliver the message than Kylie Minogue? She embodies so much of what we want to share with the world — our warm, fun and friendly personality. Not only does she have a deep and authentic connection with Australia, but she is a much loved and recognised icon in the UK as well,” says Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison.

Something tells us you’re going to see the video a lot on social media. Not that we’re complaining, every time you watch it you notice someone new or something else that makes you think, wow, we’re lucky to live here.

HIT PLAY ON THE VIDEO ABOVE TO WATCH THE MATESONG CAMPAIGN IN FULL.

Brought to you by Tourism Australia

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Kylie Minogue paid $935,000 for Tourism Australia advertisement

New contract details obtained by news.com.au reveal Aussie pop legend Kylie Minogue took home nearly $1 million for a now redundant tourism ad.

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Kylie Minogue was paid nearly a million dollars for the Matesong tourism campaign to attract British tourists to Australia before it was “paused” after just 10 days on-air.

New contract details obtained by news.com.au reveal the pop singer pocketed $935,000 in “talent fees” for the now redundant tourism advertisement.

But with international travel now suspended until a COVID-19 vaccine is found, there’s little prospect that the three-minute music video featuring koalas, quokkas, Uluru, skinny dipping beachgoers and cricketer Shane Warne, will air again anytime soon.

Ms Minogue’s contract runs until June 2020, but it’s not clear what the ongoing commitments involved after she finished filming the ad.

And unlike “tradie” Scott Cam, who came in for a barrage of criticism for his $347,000 trades ambassadorship after it was revealed he had provided just four social media posts and three videos, it’s not clear whether Ms Minogue has agreed to refund a portion of her fee.

Mr Cam announced in April he would give up the remaining portion of his taxpayer-funded salary - around $172,000 - due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Minogue has described the filming of the tourism advertisements as “a dream come true” which included her first-ever visit to Uluru in the Northern Territory.

But the campaign, which was budgeted to cost $15 million, will likely go down as one of the most expensive white elephants in the history of Tourism Australia.

The $935,000 in cash was paid to the Melbourne-based KDB Pty Ltd.

ASIC records confirm that KDB Pty Ltd is a Victorian company that has represented Ms Minogue for over 30 years.

Her mother and father, Carol and Ron Minogue, and brother, Brendan Minogue, are all officeholders in the company that was founded in 1987, the same year her first hit Locomotion was released in Australia.

MORE: Kylie Minogue posts epic throwback video

The blockbuster Matesong campaign first went to air in Britain over Christmas but was pulled from broadcast during the devastating summer bushfires.

“In light of the current situation in Australia, we have reduced some of our campaign activity in the UK. We will continue to review our planned activity over the coming weeks and months,” a Tourism Australia spokesperson said.

“As the Australian government agency responsible for attracting tourists to our country, Tourism Australia will have an important role to play in highlighting that Australia will continue to be a world-leading and safe tourism destination, whether in unaffected regions or those that will recover from these bushfires in the months and years to come.”

Tourism Australia noted that Ms Minogue had personally donated $500.000 to bushfire relief funds this year.

“As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and subsequent international travel bans, campaign activity is still on-hold. Decisions on the future use of the Matesong campaign will be made in due course as the future of international travel becomes clearer,” the statement said.

“The original three-minute Matesong TV ad, played before the Queen’s Christmas message in the UK and shorted versions of the ad thereafter were watched over 30 million times, helping to generate over 33,000 pieces of news content worth $50 million in equivalent advertising value.”

Earlier, Tourism Australia had urged tourists to still consider travelling down under over summer, if it was safe to do so.

“While bushfires continue to impact parts of Australia, many areas are unaffected and most tourism businesses are still open,’’ it said.

But the sharp drop in tourism over summer is now being speculated upon as one of the reasons behind Australia’s success in avoiding a major outbreak.

Because of the bushfires, thousands of tourists from across the world delayed their travels over summer, unwittingly helping to protect the nation from the coronavirus as it began to spread across the globe.

But if Ms Minogue is interested, there could be another opportunity in the wings with the Prime Minister hinting on Friday that a holiday-at-home tourism campaign may be next on the agenda.

“As the borders fall internally, Australians can hopefully soon return to domestic holidays and to move around the country more widely, and particularly with school holidays coming up again in July,’’ the Prime Minister said.

“We are reminded that the net tourism imports to Australia is just over $20 billion a year. That means that after you take account of international tourists coming here and Australians going overseas, there is a net import factor of just over $20 billion.

“Now, that’s up for grabs for Australian domestic tourism operators. Australians who might otherwise go elsewhere. That is a very large market and that will be targeted.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison worked for Tourism Australia as managing director before his $350,000-a-year contract was terminated after he reportedly clashed with then Tourism Minister Fran Bailey.

At the time, the Howard Government praised his work and refused to comment on the circumstances of his departure but praised his work including his involvement in the famous Lara Bingle campaign “So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?”.

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Why Kylie Minogue Says You Should Visit Australia in 2020

Kylie Minogue has a message for Brexit-weary British tourists: It’s time to relax.

The pop icon teamed up with Australia’s tourism board for a brand-new song and music video specifically aimed at British would-be travelers who are in need of a vacation amid the never-ending Brexit news cycle.

"I'm such a proud Australian that I've spent most of my life traveling around the world sharing my stories of Australia with anyone who would listen, so I kind of feel like a walking tourism advert for Australia already," Minogue said in a statement.

The three-minute music video for the song, titled “Matesong,” played on the airways just before the Queen’s televised Christmas message. The video starred not only Minogue but also a host of other famous Australians including comedian Adam Hills, tennis player Ash Barty, and former Australian cricketer Shane Warne.

The song’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics, written by Australian comedian and singer-songwriter Eddie Perfect, include pitch-perfect lines like “Negotiating tricky trade deals is a shocker/ But look there’s a quokka! / And that’s what you need.”

The ad, CNN reported, is part of a $10.4-million advertising campaign put on by Australia to lure British tourists back to the country following a slight dip in tourism as well as natural disasters. In November, Australia not only reached record-high temperatures but also experienced devastating wildfires that burned more than 9 million acres across five states, destroyed thousands of homes, and left at least six people dead.

"It's no secret that the UK has been going through a period of uncertainty,” Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said in a statement, “and this has had an impact on outbound travel, including to Australia where numbers have dipped in recent months.”

Of course, you don’t have to be British to be inspired to take a vacation to Travel + Leisure ’s destination of the year . As Minogue says in the video, “All of Australia loves you/ And we’ll never judge you.”

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Kylie Minogue reprises beloved Neighbour's character in cheeky Tourism Australia ad

Tourism Australia has launched a cheeky new ad, which enlists the help of golden girl Kylie Minogue to poke fun at the motherland – the UK.

Designed to sell Australia to the Brits, the ad showcases the very best of our nation. It features tongue-in-cheek lyrics such as, "sisters and brothers – we know you think you're above us, but deep down you love us,", and sees Kylie once again don the overalls of beloved Neighbours character Charlene Robinson. 

The pop princess told Today that the moment was surreal.

"Being face to face with Charlene again after all these years was pretty surreal, I was like, 'yep this is happening,'" she said.

"I kept those overalls by the way, I was like 'forgot how comfortable these were'".

Kylie said she jumped at the opportunity to star in the ad.

"I feel like it was an easy yes on my part, because I'm like a walking Tourism Australia advert – always have been."

Tourism Australia's Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said Kylie was an easy pick for the campaign, as she's loved by Aussies and Brits alike.

"She's a national treasure, and she is equally loved in Australia and the UK. She's been loved in the UK since the late '80s when she was discovered as Charlene on Neighbours .

"She's still incredibly contemporary in the UK, she headlined at Glastonbury this year and she just embodies what we say about Australia – that we're warm, we're welcoming."

The $15 million ad was broadcast before the Queen's Christmas Day Speech to more than 6 million people across the UK, which is one of our biggest tourism markets, Ms Harrison explained.

"The UK is an incredibly important tourism market for Australia. It's our fourth largest in terms of arrival, third for spend. When the Brits come here they love it. They disperse far into the country and really spread the economic benefit to all of Australia."

The ad features 25 iconic Australian destinations; the Whitsundays, Rottnest Island, Uluru, and Sydney Harbour are just a few of the attractions shown off.

Kylie also has a stellar supporting cast in the ad, which includes Shane Warne, Ian Thorpe, Ash Barty, and chef Darren Robertson - but the singer insists it's Australia that's the drawcard.

"It's the landscape and Australia itself that is the biggest star in this campaign. There's always a bit of Australia in my Christmas, even if it is in the UK," she said.

Kylie revealed that she has a major obsession with quokkas, and her scene with one was a highlight - but she was made to work.

"It's not as easy as I thought. I thought, 'I'm going to smash that quokka selfie' … I had to get pretty involved, down and dirty to get that shot."

The new song is written and composed by Eddie Perfect, who gets the patriotic juices flowing while engaging in some friendly banter.

"We want it to be inviting, we want it to be a hug, and an invitation with open arms," Kylie said. 

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VIDEO : Kylie Minogue stars in Tourism Australia ad 'Matesong'

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Australian pop superstar Kylie Minogue is the face of Tourism Australia's latest ad aimed at encouraging Britons to take a break down under.

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Not everyone is loving kylie minogue’s new australian tourism ad.

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A new tourism ad designed to entice Brits into booking an Australian getaway is being criticised by Australians for ignoring the current state of the country, which continues to be ravaged by bushfires.

Dear United Kingdom, Your besties across the ocean are calling. ? Love, Your mates in Australia #matesong pic.twitter.com/eAROy5p1Vn — Australia (@Australia) December 25, 2019

The “Mate Song” ad stars Australia’s pop princess Kylie Minogue, as well as comedian Adam Hills and cricketer Shane Warne, and depicts Australia as a great, relaxing place to tune out the woes of the real world, and is aimed directly at cashed-up, stressed out Brits who are sick to death of hearing about Brexit everyday.

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Did we mention the ad is also very, very white? It’s very, very white.

None of the mates seem to be people of colour despite being a fifth of the population #matesong https://t.co/OwQA2rHzEG — Oz (@redrabbleroz) December 25, 2019

Well some Blackfullas were in there as exotic, exceptional or entertaining but this was clearly an ad targeted at white folks assuring how them how much the colony is just like the *mother country* #LiveOurPhilausophy #Matesong https://t.co/QZbZ138otW — chelsea bond (@drcbond) December 26, 2019

It’s be great if we could finally have an Australian tourism ad that features Indigenous Australians as autonomous individuals instead of cultural props for a white subject. #MateSong — Amplify Magazine (@MagazineAmplify) December 26, 2019

I’m trying to get my head around how Tourism Australia thought it was a good idea to play on Brexit anxieties by asking UK people to travel to where ‘we speak your language’ while also telling non-English speakers they’re not welcome ? Was #matesong Scotty from Marketing’s idea? — ?Queen Victoria (@Vic_Rollison) December 25, 2019

I hated this. “Hi Poms, come to Australia, where white people relax, turn their brains off and ignore that world is fukt” Maybe in that way it’s actually the truest ad for Australia https://t.co/0nU72U3Ymk — Mel Campbell (@incrediblemelk) December 26, 2019

At one point in “Mate Song”, Kylie reclines on a beach chair, singing: “We can turn off the news, and you can kick off your shoes.”

Although OG Neighbours fans will be excited to see Kylie dressed as her character Charlene once again, critics of the ad were quick to point out that Australia hasn’t exactly been the peaceful refuge it’s being made out to be, recently.

Kylie in Charlene’s overalls… that just made my Christmas #MateSong https://t.co/jMGk6SRd8X — Derran Llewellyn (@LlewellynDerran) December 25, 2019

Just my 5c but I thinks possible to simultaneosly: 1) understand the purpose of the #MateSong ad. 2) like it. 3) maintain full disgust for our frightful national treatment of refugees & indigenous people. 4) think Shane Warne is still a dickhead. — Adam Voigt ?? (@adam_voigt) December 27, 2019

Many people have called out the ad’s unfortunate timing, noting the ongoing bushfires, decimation of the koala population, high temperatures and drought conditions that Australians are continuing to face.

Who is making the alternative version of this ad? Bushfires, koalas screaming in trees, dustbowl landscapes, smoke clogged cities with hazardous skies and oceans full of ash? #matesong https://t.co/K4qfH7S64p — Philippa Bateman (@PhilippaBateman) December 27, 2019

I also dislike the dishonesty: come visit because we're sweet and chuckly and laid back. Our environment is pristine. But this just isn't true. We are angry and divided. Some of us are deeply distressed at the trashing of our environment. Our govt just doesn't care. #MateSong https://t.co/iLac7kGlit — Dangerous Meredith (@DangerousMere) December 26, 2019

C'mon over mates, we are having a barbie. ? The whole country is cooking infact #ThrowAnotherKoalaOnTheFireStorm #AustraliaBurns pic.twitter.com/lqpAsFs8fN — Max Black ? (@maxblackhole) December 26, 2019

This is Australia at the moment. Our government doesn’t believe in climate change so this is what our future looks like. By the way bring a breathing mask because we have excessive smoke everywhere. Hotels are air conditioned so you can stay indoors. pic.twitter.com/YpyfLT8Yyb — ?margo69?????? (@margo694) December 25, 2019

And a few pointed out that Kylie and Adam don’t actually live here, even if they still call Australia home.

Bad timing. Very. Bad. Timing. Australia is on fire, in drought, extreme heatwaves. And if the main Aussie stars of this ad (Kylie Minogue & Adam Hills) love Australia so much – why do they live in the UK? — Kerry Jaggers (@kezincanberra) December 26, 2019

Don't apologise. This is a fantasy version of Australia. I love Kylie, and the song is catchy, but we are not the laidback and carefree people that we like to think we are. As for the coal, sorry world, but our politicians don't have the ticker to do the right thing. — ?️‍? (@Darrenjca) December 25, 2019

Dear UK. Police will greet you on arrival with semi automatic guns, the country is on fire, the air is unbreathable, towns have no water, the koala/native animal population has been obliterated, it's 47°C in some parts. Kylie & Adam live in London for a reason…. #matesong — Michelle (@mishyloan) December 26, 2019

Frankly I’m stunned that in the middle of an unprecedented national bushfire emergency – the Govt thinks it’s a good time to launch an ad campaign to attract UK tourists – & then some are surprised that people are calling this out? Extraordinary #matesong #auspol — ?? Denise Shrivell (@deniseshrivell) December 26, 2019

Ahh… at least the quokkas are still cute???

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Check Out Kylie Minogue’s New Australian Tourism Ad

by Paul Cashmere on December 26, 2019

Kylie Minogue has made a 3-minute ad for Tourism Australia aims after post-Brexit election Britain.

The lyrics and music were written by Eddie Perfect with vocals by Kylie (and occasionally Adam Hills and a few others.

Cameo appearances: Adam Hills: Australian comedian and radio and television presenter Andy Saunders: Comedian, Aboriginal Comedy AllStars Ash Barty: Australian professional tennis player Darren Robertson: Chef and co-owner, Three Blue Ducks Ian Thorpe: Former Australian Olympic swimmer Jeff Bennett: Co-owner, Three Blue Ducks Jordan and Zac Stenmark: Australian models Kevin Kropinyeri: Comedian, Aboriginal Comedy AllStars Magdalena Roze: Meteorologist, presenter and journalist Reggie and Cassidy Uluru: Indigenous Elders, Mutitjulu Community Sean Choolburra: Comedian, Aboriginal Comedy AllStars Shane Warne: Media personality and former Australian cricketer

Last year, Tourism Australia made a fake Crocodile Dundee trailer ad for the Super Bowl in the USA.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Kylie Minogue’s Tourism Australia advert scrapped amid bushfires as she donates $500,000 to firefighting efforts

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Kylie Minogue ’s Tourism Australia advert has been scrapped from UK screens as heartbreaking bushfires continue to burn across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

The fires have been raging out of control for weeks and weeks now, with the flames already taking the lives of 23 people and half a billion animals .

Celebrities have pulled together to raise awareness and donations to support Australia throughout the devastating ordeal, with Kylie herself donating $500,000 (AUD) – around £263,470 – to fire services.

The Australian native, who hails from Melbourne, was the star of a new ad hoping to persuade Brits to head down under, but Tourism Australia have since made the decision to pull the advert off air as the bushfire crisis worsens.

The advertising campaign reportedly cost a huge $15milllion (AUD) and featured Kylie heading to iconic Australian landmarks and even reprising the role of her old Neighbours character Charlene. It first premiered in the UK on Christmas Day.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia , a spokesperson for Tourism Australia explained: ‘The number one priority right now continues to be the emergency response to these devastating bushfires and the safety of communities and tourists in affected areas.

‘In light of the current situation in Australia, we have reduced some of our campaign activity in the UK.’

Kylie, meanwhile, shared her heartache over the fires on Instagram by posting a picture of her stood in a field with the smoke visible around her.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-EYf-gnCy/

She added links to donation pages and wrote: ‘Last year I had the incredible opportunity of visiting some of the many beautiful places in my homeland for the first time.

‘Returning home to such devastation throughout much of the country is heartbreaking. As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required.

‘Big or small, from near or far, any support will help those affected by the devastating bushfires. With love, The Minogue Family.’

Wanting to help just like Kylie, Nicole Kidman, who grew up in Sydney and her husband Keith Urban also donated $500,000 to Australia’s rural fire service, while Pink donated the same generous sum after being left heartbroken by the impact of the fires so far.

It’s been reported that over 20,000 square miles – equivalent to a third of the size of England – across Australia has been burnt and more than 1500 homes have been destroyed across Victoria and New South Wales, while 100 fires are still burning out of control.

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Kylie Minogue tries to lure Brexit-weary Britons in new Tourism Australia ad 'Matesong'

Pop star reprises Neighbours character in a song that also includes tennis star Ash Barty, comedian Adam Hills and former cricketer Shane Warne

A new $15m tourism campaign featuring Kylie Minogue is aiming to lure Brexit-weary Britons to Australia with the perennial promise of cute marsupials, white-sand beaches and locals who “speak your language”.

The three-minute musical advertisement aired on televisions in the UK before the Queen’s message on Christmas Day, with Minogue and another well-known Australian export, Adam Hills, addressing the nation from Sandringham – a beachside suburb of Melbourne, Australia.

Minogue teased the release on social media in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Titled “Matesong”, the campaign is the biggest investment in promoting Australia to the UK in more than a decade, Tourism Australia said. It is part of the perplexing ‘philAUSophy’ campaign .

The lyrics, written by Australian comedian and singer-songwriter Eddie Perfect, are explicitly aimed at the Brexit-and-Boris malaise.

Stanzas include: “Negotiating tricky trade deals is a shocker/ But look there’s a quokka! / And that’s what you need.”

Quokkas are adorable and thoroughly defenceless cat-sized marsupials that are extinct everywhere except Rottnest Island, a short boat ride from Perth in Western Australia, where they are so friendly that they happily pose for selfies with tourists and Hemsworths.

Merry Christmas #Lovers ! 🎄I can’t wait to share my special message with you on @itv , and my cute Quokka mate here also makes an appearance. Make sure you tune in just before the Queen’s speech today. #ad pic.twitter.com/fs9FCb4zZd — Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue) December 25, 2019

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The ad features a litany of Australian sports people, including world number one women’s tennis player Ash Barty; former Australian cricketer Shane Warne , taunting the audience to “get ready to lose” at backyard cricket; and Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Ian Thorpe, who charmingly speaks his lines rather than singing them.

It also shows Kylie Minogue on a beach; Kylie Minogue under a car wearing the overalls and curls of her Neighbours character Charlene Robinson; Kylie Minogue in a luxury eco-lodge; Kylie Minogue with Reggie and Cassidy Uluru, Anangu elders from Mutitjulu and traditional owners of Uluru; Kylie Minogue pulling a beer; and Kylie Minogue in a kind of cricket-themed Victor/Victoria moment wearing Australian colours on her left side and English red-and-white on her right.

The holiday promised in the ad is comforting, familiar and non-threatening, highlighting the deep colonial ties between Australia and the UK.

“This year’s been tough and confusing / But progress is moving … At glacial pace

“But all of Australia loves you/ And we’ll never judge you.”

Australia is Briton’s “pal to rely on” its “shoulder to cry on”.

As the song promises: “We speak your language/ Except for the vowels.”

The reception has been mainly positive, particularly in the UK. It is catchy and glossy and fun.

Now this is a good advert. https://t.co/sBkAKEsKHp — Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) December 25, 2019

But a number of Australians – and even a few Britons – pointed out that clear blue skies and happy, healthy koalas are at odds with recent images of Sydney showing a thick layer of smoke shrouding the Sydney Opera House, and news coverage of unprecedented bushfires that have devastated large swathes of koala habitat.

Although the song does say “we can turn off the news”.

Not meant in a funny way but these adverts with Kylie advertising Australia as a great place to visit...last I heard the whole place was engulfed in bushfires...sorry I won’t be visiting any time soon — Paul (@PaulyRobs12) December 25, 2019

The ad has also been criticised for presenting quite an Anglicised version of Australia, despite 30% of the population being born overseas.

None of the mates seem to be people of colour despite being a fifth of the population #matesong https://t.co/OwQA2rHzEG — Oz (@redrabbleroz) December 25, 2019

It’s entirely plausible that some Australians (mostly affluent by the looks of this ad) think this is who we are as a people. And that’s probably why we are where we are. pic.twitter.com/AEGsX5BMTr — Prof M Davis [-0-] (@mdavisqlder) December 25, 2019

In Australia, reaction has also been coloured by criticism of prime minister Scott Morrison, himself a former director of Tourism Australia, whose decision to holiday in Hawaii during the bushfire crisis has led to criticism of his leadership .

Love to know how much taxpayer dosh was spent trying to lure Brits to Australia with Kylie and quokkas while we experience our worst fires on record and unprecedented air pollution #australiaburns #climateemergency pic.twitter.com/TnupcfIz9C — Amy Coopes (@coopesdetat) December 25, 2019

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