On October 20, Tourism Australia launched a new global campaign, “Goody! to Start with Australia” and held an event presentation in Tokyo.
At the presentation, there was a premiere screening of an original short movie created for this campaign, and actor/model Maryjune Takahashi and voice actor Yuki Kaji, who handled the Japanese dubbed version of the movie, appeared on stage. A talk show was also held to discuss the appeal of Australia.
The video, titled “G’day,” features Ruby the kangaroo and Louie the unicorn as animated characters against the backdrop of Australia’s iconic and beautiful scenery. The 9-minute short movie shows the appeal of Australia’s famous tourist attractions as they explore them together.
The Japanese dubbed version features Mary June Takahashi as Ruby and Hiroki Kaji as Rui. The film was produced by Australian filmmaker Michael Gracey, and the voice of Ruby in the English version is provided by Rose Byrne, also an Australian actress.
During the talk show, MaryJune Takahashi, who went to Australia the day after the recording session, showed several photos taken with koalas and kangaroos. She said that the food in Australia was delicious, especially the seafood was fresh and tasty.
Meanwhile, Hiroki Kaji, who had been to Australia about eight years ago, showed photos from that trip. He reminisced about Whitehaven Beach on the Great Barrier Reef, which he saw from a helicopter, and Heart Reef, a heart-shaped coral reef island.
In an interview after the talk show, Derek Baines, Director General of Tourism Australia Japan, was asked what he thought as an Australian after watching the movie full of scenes from his hometown. When asked what he thought as an Australian after watching the movie filled with scenes from his homeland, he began by saying, “I was very moved.
This is a new campaign for the global market, but we have been planning how to effectively introduce it to the Japanese market. With the ‘Amazing Help’ of Mr. Takahashi and Mr. Kaji, I believe we will be able to introduce the charms of Australia to the fullest extent.
© Source travel watch