Japanese no longer visiting Australia?

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    The Sunday Mail is reporting that the number of Japanese tourists visiting Australia is declining. Earlier this year, in an effort to convince Japanese tourists that Australia is still a cool place to visit, they launched an advertising campaign:

    In another blow, Tourism Australia’s $21 million advertising campaign “Where the bloody hell are you?” has failed in Asia because they don’t understand it.

    It was modified for the polite Asian market to: “So, why don’t you come?” but industry leaders say the Japanese do not get the humour in the translation.

    0.1% of Japanese people might be able to read and understand this English slogan.

    I saw the the above ad on a train in Yokohama yesterday. Even as a native English speaker, I failed to get the humor. Is an ad with a scene of fireworks over the Sydney Opera House with “Where the bloody hell are you?” text supposed to be amusing? Taking a slogan that kind of sucks in English, and then washing all personality out of it by translating it to “Why don’t you come”? Come on, Australia! What were you thinking?

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