The ambitious plan to take Australia to the Super Bowl began over dinner at a Sydney pizzeria this time last year — but could serve tourism operators close to $6 billion in US travel business by 2020.
The mock Crocodile Dundee trailer — teased to viewers before the NFL blockbuster today — proved to be the stunning launch of Tourism Australia's biggest single advertising campaign into America since Paul Hogan fronted the Come Say G'Day ads over 30 years ago.
An all-star cast of Australia's most popular showbiz exports — lead by Thor star Chris Hemsworth and featuring cameos by Oscar nominee Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman — featured in the 60-second spot, which aired to an estimated audience of 110 million people during the Super Bowl showdown between New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
Hemsworth, a Tourism Australia ambassador, will also feature in the rollout of an extended $36 million marketing campaign, alongside actor Danny McBride who appeared in the commercial as Mick Dundee's long lost son.
Donald Trump Jr was quick to comment on the ad while having a dig at Hollywood. His message was retweeted more than 1400 times:
Not gonna lie, Kenny Powers as Crocodile Dundee would be the best thing to home out of Hollywood in decades. #SuperBowlLII
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 5, 2018
Magda Szubanski was enthusiastic about the prospect of the film, and later, when asked if she was angling for a part, she replied "God yes!!!"
I know I’m late to this but OMG I HAVE TO SEE THIS FILM PLEASE MAKE THIS FILM!!! #DundeeMovie @TourismAus https://t.co/UDFrYPlCRh
— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) February 4, 2018
Australian ambassador to the US Joe Hockey backed the push for a new Crocodile Dundee movie.
The former treasurer spruiked the #BringBackDundee campaign on his Twitter today, calling on his followers to sign the petition after they booked their flights to Australia.
After you book your flights to #Australia, you might want to sign this: https://t.co/WGGRqt0HKR 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 #BringBackDundee
— Joe Hockey (@JoeHockey) February 5, 2018
Who needs a movie when you can go find your very own #Dundee in #Australia??? America: make 2018 the year you visit #downunder! 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 @TourismAus https://t.co/LPaqZ4N5vS
— Joe Hockey (@JoeHockey) February 5, 2018
Meanwhile, some viewers expressed disappointment that the trailer and the movie are not real.
I was 100% on board for that Danny McBride Crocodile Dundee movie and they pulled the rug right out from under me, you have made a powerful enemy today Australia
— Seth Macy (@sethmacy) February 5, 2018
Aussie celebrity chef Curtis Stone tweeted that he had a suprise cameo in the trailer, "sipping wine and "taking a boat ride".
Today show hosts Karl Stefanovic and Georgie Gardner, Sonia Kruger and Human Nature are just some of the other celebrities who have jumped on board the #Bring Back Dundee campaign initiated by NT News.
You might even miss a familiar face in the background sipping wine & taking a boat ride in the Sydney harbor @chrishemsworth @TourismAus @DundeeMovie #australia #SuperBowlAds https://t.co/EMNVMd6GE3
— Chef Curtis Stone (@CurtisStone) February 5, 2018
Northern Territory Labor MP Luke Gosling said a new Dundee movie would be a great way to boost tourism in the Top End.
"Australia with Nicole Kidman was a while back now but I think we could do better with a new spin on Crocodile Dundee," Mr Gosling said.
"The Crocodile Dundee series was amazing for Territory tourism," he said. "It showed off all our great and wonderful landscapes and characters.
"The Territory is a unique place and it still is much the same in lots of ways - people can go off the beaten track and have wonderful experiences.
"And I think the #BringBackDundee campaign is an awesome way to refresh people's memories of those films and consider taking a trip up to the Top End."
Mr Gosling suggested filmmakers should not rely on old jokes from the original films but freshen it up with new Top End humour.
He also said Chris Hemsworth was a "credible guy to pull it off because most Territorians look very much like Chris Hemsworth".
Graeme Mason, chief executive of Screen Australia tasked with supporting Australian film development, production and promotion, said his agency was not involved in the ad but loved what it would do for the nation's film industry.
"The Dundee ad is just an amazing reminder that our screen stars are Australia's most recognisable export," he told News Corp Australia. "Our country might conjure images of beaches, koalas and wide open spaces but when foreigners think 'what is an Australian like' their reference point is almost always our actors and the stories we tell on tele, at the cinema and online."
He added the global reaction wasn't a surprise but what was noticeable was how much Americans and Australians wanted big name Aussie actors telling Aussie stories.
"If I was a producer I'd be keeping my eyes peeled for a brilliant Aussie comedy script that might pique the interest of Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie!" he said.
Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner said: "The overwhelming social media response to the Tourism Australia campaign is testament to the enduring resonance that iconic Australian screen content has with audiences globally. Tourism Australia is cleverly capitalising upon what has been decades of success for Australian screen production talent in front of and behind the cameras which over time has created some of our nation's most important exports. And this speaks to the ongoing importance of supporting Australian story telling and locally made productions."
Paul Hogan gave permission for the tourism body to use his most famous character to promote Australia after a clandestine meeting with Tourism Australia's managing director John O'Sullivan and chief marketing officer Lisa Ronson in the cafe of a gardening centre, near Belrose in Sydney's north west in June last year.
Jackman is understood to have played "recruiter in chief" for the ad's cameo spots, getting stars like Robbie, Russell Crowe and Ruby Rose to appear for minimum SAG [Screen Actors Guild] rates — which amounts to less than $20,000 each.
"What we found with this project was just how proud Australian talent are of their origins and country, [and] having them involved just gives us that talkability," O'Sullivan said.
"We've already seen on digital channels and social media, we've reached over 369 million people. We've already earned $30 million in free publicity, so we're already paying for the campaign through their use ... it's been great."
A dinner at East Sydney eatery, Bar Reggio sparked the idea to "reboot" the Dundee film franchise — inspiring a petition by the NT News to #BringBackDundee — based on research which shows "that Americans still identify him as a character that brings Australia to life," O'Sullivan said.
The winning pitch, by New York-based ad agency Droga 5 [run by Aussie David Droga] played up to Americans' love of the Aussie larrikin spirit.
"Americans often say 'a party is better with an Australian in the room' and that's what we were trying to do with this concept. We then married it up with our research and said 'well, the Australian that brings Australia to life, still in that market, is Dundee' and it all lined up nicely," O'Sullivan said.
Executing the ad took some "cloak and daggers" manoeuvring, with Hoges covered in towels as he walked the 150 metres from a make-up trailer parked on Hickson Road in The Rocks to Quay restaurant at Circular Quay, where part of the commercial was filmed in late November.
Their secret was almost blown during filming of another scene, when Hemsworth and McBride, along with singer Jess Mauboy and Curtis Stone were smuggled onto a harbour shotover boat.
"We were worried about getting Chris from the restaurant to the boat in Circular Quay on a Sunday morning without being spotted. But we got him in the boat, Danny in the boat, Jess in the boat and the only person people recognised was Curtis."
Mauboy, Stone and Outback Wrangler, Matt Wright will also be part of a brand extension, Why Australia? — selling American travellers on our indigenous culture, wildlife and convincing them the long flight is worth the effort.
The Super Bowl provided the perfect platform to grab attention in the US, in a bid to increase travel expenditure targets from $5.2 billion in 2020 by $800 million.
Australia's minister for trade, tourism and investment, Steve Ciobo said a favourable exchange rate and increased aviation capacity made the time right to convert US interest.
"While Australia ranks highly among Americans in terms of desirability and awareness of our tourism offerings, we lag behind our competitors when it comes to actual bookings. This new campaign will address this conversion challenge," he said.
"The teasers have generated almost 4000 news stories, with an estimated advertising value of $30 million and an estimated audience of 3 billion people. In addition, more than 412 million people have been reached on social media platforms and importantly, 80 per cent of that is United States based," Mr Ciobo said.
He said he could understand the public's appetite for a new Dundee movie, particularly given its all-star line up.
"I suspect though, ultimately, there would be a fairly substantial budget associated with those headline A-list actors," he told reporters in Canberra.
"But we'll have to see - ultimately these are commercial decisions and if there was a studio willing to step up, I'd think that was fantastic."
Released in 1986, Crocodile Dundee raked in $328 million at the box office.
It was followed by two sequels Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001).
The ad was screened alongside Super Bowl ads for Coke, Pepsi, Budweiser, Skittles, Groupon, Hyundai and Toyota.
The Dundee ad was directed by Steve Rogers of Sydney-based advertising agency, Revolver.
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