Australia is known as being a country where people tend to be chilled out and can take a joke. Sometimes these jokes can be very creative.
Recently Melbourne resident Tom Overend returned from an extended holiday to Vietnam and Cambodia to find his bachelor bedroom transformed into an enchanted castle fit for a fairy princess. The pranksters were rallied via Facebook and the footage of the transformation has become an internet sensation.
Australia is developing a reputation for creativity. The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympics were masterpieces, both in terms of imagination and in terms of managing logistics. Since then, the country has become known for creating a range of innovative marketing events, many of which have centred on beating various world records – sporting and otherwise.
From the World’s Longest Radio Interview (Richard Glover and Peter FitzSimons on ABC Radio, 24 Hours) to the Largest Circuit Class (Michelle Bridges, 12WBT, Melbourne, 1165 participants), Australia has innovated to create both a powerful marketing impact and a sense of fun and often of participation.
Many of these events have attracted international participants. Those who do wish to visit Australia to participate in one of these events (or to create one of their own) would do well to hire the services of a qualified NAATI translator.
