Tourism Queensland is targeting Facebook users with its latest advertising campaign, ‘Passport to Shine’.

People can log their favourite Queensland experience into a virtual passport for the chance to win up to one hundred-thousand dollars, but advertising experts say the new campaign is boring.

Sacha Passi reports.

[flashvideo file=https://www.qutnews.com/uploads/tv-2010-2/20101013-Tourism-Campaign.flv /]

TRANSCRIPT

Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, island hopping or exploring a rain forest.

What’s your ultimate Queensland experience?

It’s the question Tourism Queensland is now asking Facebook users worldwide.

Steve McRoberts, Tourism Queensland: “Within a couple of hours we’ve touched every continent in the world, and it’s already averaging in such a short time, for every one person they’re passing it on to four people so you’ve got to say that it’s having success.”

A trip to Queensland worth up to $100,000 is up for grabs.

But it’ll be a challenge if they want this competition to outshine the success of the Best Job in the World campaign.

Dr Gayle Kerr, Associate Professor of Advertising: “If you look at it as a piece of social media it really doesn’t require anyone to create their own content, and user generated content was a big part of the Best Job in the World campaign.”

Tourism Queensland says it now has to be smarter and more creative to entice tourists. Advertising experts aren’t convinced this campaign does either.

Dr Gayle Kerr, Associate Professor of Advertising: “I don’t really think that the new Facebook campaign does much to engage people, I think it’s more of a lottery.”

The winner will be picked at random next month.

Tourism Queensland says the campaign is designed to give people a chance to plan their dream holiday with the chance of making it a reality.

Steve McRoberts, Tourism Queensland: “It’s asking people to look at the experiences, picture themselves in those experiences and everybody dreams of having a great holiday. And what it does do is give someone a chance to share that opportunity with their mates.”

More than 40,000 people have chosen to ‘like’ the Passport to Shine page since launching overnight.

Sacha Passi, QUT News.