Australia has launched a controversial, Internet-based viral campaign featuring a hooded actor taunting Australians over their Beijing performance. (Australian Sports Commission)(ATR) Brits are reportedly confused and insulted by an Australian government advertising campaign featuring a hooded, fast-talking Londoner and aimed at identifying talented athletes for the 2012 Olympics.
The 80-second Internet-based viral campaign features an actor depicting an obnoxious hooded ‘chav’ “with a mouth as wide as the Thames” taunting Australians over their medal performance at the Beijing Olympics. He is standing in front of a picture of the Queen.
Reports about the online push in the U.K. have been mixed, with The Sunday Times – under a headline identical to one of the main taglines in the video spray: “Let’s rip the Brits to bits” – described the campaign as “provocative."
"The finger-jabbing yob wipes his nose with his hand as he tells young Australians: 'You haven't got what it takes ... the only gold you will be picking up is from a chocolate wrapper,' " the paper writes.
London newspaper Metro describes the online taunt as a “dirty tricks campaign” by Australia, but continues playfully to offer its own take on the campaign.
“Obviously still smarting after claiming only 14 golds in Beijing earlier this summer – compared to Team GB's 19 – the Australian Sports Commision (ASC) have launched a viral ad in a bid to entice more youngsters to take up sport - by offering them the chance to beat the British,” it says.
The ASC says in a statement it is using the age-old rivalry between Britain and Australia to attract athletes into the talent identification program for the London 2012 Olympics and beyond.
It says that after meeting the cocky Brit “whinging his way to notoriety," Olympic hopefuls can access the ASC's online talent identification tool.
The system is accessible to anyone aged 12-29 as a means of providing a pathway into elite sport, including scholarships at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“It is vital for Australia to be smart in talent identification and development in order to maintain our competitive edge on the international stage,” the statement says.
“Approximately 10 percent of any country's population has sporting talent. Based on this, Australia's talent pool sits at around 280,000 people, whilst sporting super powers such as America and China have talent pools in excess of 4 million and 22 million respectively.”
The ASC says those statistics make it necessary for Australia to be innovative in its approach and “search far and wide for our next top sportspeople if we are to remain one of the top sporting nations of the world." While AOC President John Coates has remained mum on the campaign, he did fan the rivalry between the countries in Beijing after referring to Rebecca Adlington's victory as good for a country "short on soap." (Getty Images)
British IOC member Sir Craig Reedie suggests the Australian campaign is all in good spirit.
“I think the Australians are quite good at taking it on the chin,” he tells the Sunday Times.
“But they will be here in force in 2012 and, in cricket parlance, they always like beating the Poms in their back yard. They will be strong and well-organized competitors, that’s for sure.”
Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates – who is in London this week – has declined to comment through spokesman Mike Tancred, but his attempt to maintain a low profile has not been enough to escape attention in most reports.
Presenting the advertisement as a continuation of the rivalry between Australia and Britain, the reports cite comments made by Coates during a Beijing Olympics media conference, in which he joked that the shock victory by Rebecca Adlington in the 400-meter freestyle was good for a country short on swimming pools - and short on soap.
Written by Anthony Stavrinos
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