Tourism Australia ad enlists Nigella Lawson, Robert Irwin in new $130m campaign targeting 11.8 million visitors by 2029

Australia’s federal tourism marketing body has enlisted a star-studded cast to drive more international travellers to local shores in a new $130 million advertising campaign.

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson serves Pavlova at a winery lunch in Margaret River while wildlife conservationist-turned-television star Robert Irwin helps an American recover their phone which was stolen by an emu in a new three-minute film, which also features well-known figures in different target markets across the world.

Robert Irwin leads Australia’s new pitch to international travellers.Credit: Tourism Australia

The campaign forms part of a plan to continue growing tourism revenue in Australia, with an expected record 10 million visitors in 2026, and hopes to grow that number to 11.8 million by 2029.

Money spent by visitors totalled $52.6 billion in the 12 months ending in March this year according to Tourism Australia research, helping create more jobs and grow Australia’s economy off the back of the successful first iteration of the “Come and Say G’day” campaign in 2022, this time created by New York-based ad firm Droga5, founded by Australian David Droga.

Bespoke campaigns for different markets will be rolled out this week. China is first, featuring actor Yosh Yu, before India later this month, with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s entrepreneur daughter Sara featuring.

The campaign will then roll out to the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Germany in September.

Ruby the Roo makes a big return, though not voiced by actor Rose Byrne this time. There is also a reference to Paul Hogan’s infamous 1984 “throw another shrimp on the barbie” line, also from a past tourism campaign.

Trade Minister Don Farrell said the new campaign would help boost the economy and is confident it will be a “smash”, coming off the back of the success of the first global “Come and Say G’Day” campaign, which launched in 2022 and was created by ad agency M&C Saatchi.

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