It was an innocent time, back when Lara Bingle strolled onto a pristine beach in a candy-striped bikini and asked us, playfully, "where the bloody hell are you?" A simpler time, when children could play without fear of... not really sure where I'm going with this one, but it's safe to say we all remember those ads.

As does Kevin Rudd, and perhaps with far less fondness than the national FHM readership (who were too busy touching themselves thanking God for sending them Lara "Intellegent" Bingle), as he has labeled the campaign a "disaster".

"That campaign, every place I have visited in the world, has been basically described as an absolute rolled gold disaster," he said.

"This government is now seeking to re-examine that because Australian tourism deserves better than that which (Liberal MP Fran Bailey) gave to us when she was minister for tourism.

"That campaign was a rolled gold disaster."

Wow, two mentions of the phrase "rolled gold disaster"! This must be the new "mateship"/"clever"/[insert political buzzword of choice here].

Anyone got any tips for the new tourism campaign? Personally, I suggest a vintage re-run of this little classic...

 

Advertising gold! Have a XXXX! Get a shrimp up ya dead dingo's donger! And so forth with the amusing Australianisms!

Tags: advertising | au | clips | kevin rudd | lara bingle | tourism | where the bloody hell are you