Tourism Australia has partnered with boutique travel experts Mr & Mrs Smith in the UK to showcase the best experiences and properties in Australia. The Best of Australia collection, unveiled today, is part of the latest phase of Tourism Australia’s global marketing campaign, There’s nothing like Australia, which launched globally on 4 June.

The campaign concept was developed by Mr & Mrs Smith’s media sales and creative solutions partner, Digital Spring.  The deal was planned and negotiated by media agency OMD.  It is the first time Mr & Mrs Smith has worked with a National Tourism Organisation to deliver an integrated multi-media campaign comprising of online, print, image and video assets.

Rodney Harrex, Regional General Manager UK and Northern Europe, Tourism Australia, commented, “Mr & Mrs Smith is the perfect partner for Tourism Australia in the UK – we’re excited to be able to tap into the Mr & Mrs Smith platform and extend our reach in a unique way.  This is the first time the new There’s nothing like Australia campaign assets have been used in the UK so working together on this content partnership is a great way to highlight the very best of what’s on offer for a UK visitor Down Under.”

Juliet Kinsman, Editor-in-Chief, Mr & Mrs Smith, says, “We wanted to extend our offering beyond our portfolio of Australian properties to present a complete experience for travellers, building on the activities that we know inspire people to visit Australia.  This campaign allows us to make it even easier than before for our customers to plan a boutique, luxury holiday using the expertise of a tourism partner.”

The online campaign collection is split into five easy to browse categories; Hidden Gems, Journeys, Cuisine, Wildlife and Coastline.  Each section includes a further five specific locations and suggested activities that are linked to the Mr & Mrs Smith property where that activity is on offer.

The platform, www.mrandmrssmith.com/best-of-australia, features video content on a bespoke video carousel hosted by Limelight, which will lead with the new short There’s nothing like Australia film, which is at the heart of Tourism Australia’s global campaign.  The film, created by DDB Group Sydney and directed by award winning Australian director Sean Meehan, features some of the country’s most distinctive experiences, including the Bungle Bungles in The Kimberley, Sydney’s harbour, Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef’s Lizard and Hayman Islands, Freycinet in Tasmania and South Australia’s Kangaroo Island.

Co-branded advertising across the Mr & Mrs Smith site will drive traffic to the microsite, with additional online advertising linking through to a bespoke There’s nothing like Australia campaign page on www.australia.com, Tourism Australia’s consumer platform.  Consumers also have the chance to win a holiday to Australia flying business class and staying in Mr & Mrs Smith properties in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Red Centre and Lizard Island.

The Best of Australia collection will be displayed in a Mr & Mrs Smith 24-page booklet which will include quotes from high-profile ambassadors on their favourite travel experiences across Australia.  The booklet will be distributed across London and the South East in The Sunday Times on 17 June.

This second phase of Tourism Australia’s There’s nothing like Australia campaign (which originally launched in 2010) will roll out in China, the US and Australia this week and will be active in 18 of Tourism Australia’s key global markets by the end of 2012.

Tourism Australia will spend approximately A$180 million over the next three years rolling out the evolving campaign in its key international markets and in Australia. It expects to achieve a total investment of A$250 million by securing up to A$70 million in additional funding from industry partners to support joint marketing activities, aimed at promoting Australia with a clear and consistent voice.