Among the first was Family Ties, then (albeit in the realm of animation) came The Simpsons, then Oprah, and Ellen, then Modern Family. Now another American television show is to have some “special” episodes set in Australia.
And if the names Brooke, Eric, Ivy, Quinn and Ridge ring a bell with you, you’ll know which one I’m talking about.
Qantas has announced it will bring the cast to Australia of The Bold and The Beautiful to Australia from February 12-17 to film “multiple” episodes of the world’s most-watched daily drama.
B&B executive producer and head writer Bradley Bell said: “This will be an epic celebration for our fans around the world. We are preparing to film the most glamorous location shoot in soap opera history.”
A Qantas media release said the project was a collaboration between the airline, Australia Network Ten and American network CBS.
It says “viewers will witness romance, high style, jaw-dropping twists, harrowing stunts and major cliffhangers” — and, I sincerely hope, a lot of sustained meaningful stares — that are the hallmark of each B&B episode.
Confirmed to be in Australia are Ashleigh Brewer (“Ivy”), Scott Clifton (“Liam”), Don Diamont (“Bill”), Thorsten Kaye (“Ridge”), Katherine Kelly Lang (“Brooke”), John McCook (“Eric”), Rena Sofer (“Quinn”) and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (“Steffy”).
Brewer, who previously played Kate Ramsay on Australian soap Neighbours, will be among a number of Australian celebrities featured in the episodes.
What’s all this got to do with tourism?
Well, as Qantas group executive brand, marketing, corporate affairs, Olivia Wirth, says: “This is a terrific opportunity to promote Australia, by featuring it in one of the most popular TV programs in the world.
“We know from our experience with other successful shows that there is a spike in inquiry levels on qantas.com when these programs go to air, which then helps translate into more visitors in the months that follow.”
As an example of the effectiveness of these tie-ups, Qantas saw a 22 per cent spike in booking levels from the United States following its partnership with The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
