The portrayal of Indigenous identity in Australian tourism brand advertising: engendering an image of extraordinary reality or staged authenticity?

Authors

Alan Pomering, University of WollongongFollow
Leanne White, Victoria University, Australia

RIS ID

43450

Publication Details

Pomering, A. & White, L. (2011). The portrayal of Indigenous identity in Australian tourism brand advertising: engendering an image of extraordinary reality or staged authenticity?. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 7 (3), 165-174.

Abstract

This article provides a brief review of nation branding, tourism and national identity literature. The identity of Indigenous Australians, in relation to the broader national identity, is examined. A discussion of Australia's recent tourism destination marketing follows. A feature of this destination marketing is an advertising campaign in which postcolonial Indigenous Australian identity is staged as authentic, using palatable, emblematic stereotypes that hark back to the notion of the noble savage. Finally, a research study to test the effectiveness of such an advertising approach for branding the tourism nation is proposed and discussed.