Tourism Australia brushes off campaign critics

Tourism Australia has defended its latest ?Nothing Like Australia? campaign and jingle, which has been reported as sounding similar to a Disney tune.

The campaign?s global television commercial, which was launched on Monday, has attracted a barrage of criticism for its seemingly bogan and tone-deaf representation of Australians.

However, Tourism Australia CEO Andrew McEvoy told e-Travel Blackboard TV on Thursday that the critics were ?mainly Australians who want to be perceived in a way they want to be perceived.?

He added that research before the launch showed the majority of Australians liked the ad.

?Ninety percent of Australians said this ad made them feel proud and 90 percent of Australians said they know it will work overseas and the 10 percent who don?t like it are absolutely entitled to their opinion,

McEvoy also laughed off reports about the ad jingle?s resemblance to the Mickey Mouse Club?s theme tune.

?So we?ve heard the Mickey Mouse Club, we?ve heard Astro Boy, we?ve heard Aeroplane Jelly, we?ve heard Advance Australia Fair,

?Someone told me that there are four chords in this song which are common with about 20,000 songs globally and they?re some of the best songs you?ve ever heard ? Stand By Me ? these songs, common chords, people are hearing bits and pieces of these sorts of things,