American version
Shanghai version
At first everyone was taken away by the feelings and magic of the videos. Then, after closer examination, some interesting issues were brought up through discussions.
For example, did you notice that the boy is Aboriginal? Do Australians advertise Aboriginal culture when it is convenient? Do the students associate with the Dream culture, and do they feel like it's part of their history? The response from the class was a universal "no" ...
Another argument was that the ads portray Australia to the world as this beautiful land, where all that people do is swim in lakes and climb the trees. In reality, Sydney life is as urban as New York, and people deal with same issues of being overworked and stressed.
However, no one said that they dislike the ads, or feel offended by them. They are effective, captivating and magical. Maybe we are city dwellers in Sydney, but we are also fortunate. These beautiful places are within a close reach.
