By ninemsn staff
A new Aussie "face" is being sought to lure overseas visitors down-under as Tourism Australia prepares to dump its lacklustre "Where the bloody hell are you?" advertising campaign.
The $180m campaign, spearheaded by the TV ad starring Lara Bingle, was criticised for using offensive language and even banned briefly in Britain.
Senior staff at Tourism Australia are also understood to dislike the campaign, although its former chief executive Scott Morrison repeatedly defended it in public.
The 'Bloody Hell' ad showcases Australia's coastline and other natural landscapes and ends with a bikini-clad Bingle urging an overseas audience to visit.
But after two-and-a-half years, the ad has failed to achieve the hoped-for boost in tourism numbers.
Official figures show Australia drew 5.6 million overseas visitors last year, a mere two percent rise on the previous year.
"The ad itself was disgraceful," former Federal Tourism Minister John Brown told A Current Affair.
"They spent $6 million researching it and it was rejected all over the world because first of all nobody knows what that term means."
The existing agency contracts for the 'Bloody Hell' campaign, created by M&C Saatchi and promoted by Carat, expire in June.
Tourism Australia began its review for a new tourism campaign in December, sources told The Australian.
That will include finding a new celebrity to front the next campaign.
Click here to vote on who should be the next Face Of Australia
BWM creative director Rob Belgiovane says country music singer Keith Urban and actress Nicole Kidman could be ideal for the role.
"Keith and Nic could be the perfect couple in a way, as long as Keith can stay out of rehab," he told A Current Affair.
Mr Belgiovane also nominated the satirical television characters Kath and Kim, whom he described as "cultural icons" who are well regarded overseas.
Advertising guru Simon Reynolds said actress Cate Blanchette would bring more sophistication to the role — but he also reckons a native animal like the kangaroo could make a good ambassador.
"Who wouldn't want a kangaroo fronting our ads?" he said. "If it was talking like Mr Ed… I think it could be a cracker."
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