Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: How do we think about Australia?

20 minutes

Find Out: How is Australia represented?

25 minutes

Take Action: How do we want Australia represented?

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

investigate the ways advertising shapes how Australians see themselves, who is represented or excluded, and how marketing can promote a more inclusive and diverse Australia.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify and explain how symbols, images and identities are used in advertising to represent Australia’s diversity
analyse advertising from different perspectives, recognising inclusion and exclusion, and reflect on how assumptions shape these representations
create their own inclusive advertising media that uses imagery, language, and symbols effectively to promote diversity and belonging.

Tune In: How do we think about Australia?

Explain to students that they need to understand some key vocabulary for this lesson

Step 1

symbols
images
identities.

Write these 3 words on the board and leave a space between each 1. Provide students with 3 sticky notes each. Ask students to write 1 answer per sticky note to the following question

What is a symbol, an image and a person you associate with or think represents Australia?

Start the activity by providing an example of each. Once students have completed their responses, invite them to stick their sticky notes on the board beside each word.

Discuss the answers as a class and highlight common ideas. Encourage students to justify their choices with examples and reasoning. As you go through the answers, outline the definitions

Symbol: a sign, shape, or object that is used to represent something.
Images: a picture in your mind or an idea of how someone or something is.
Identities: a person, their name and who they are.

Ask students to consider: Do these symbols, images and identities really represent everything about Australia? Is it even possible? Why or why not?

Find Out: How is Australia represented?

Step 1

Distribute to each student a copy of the Student Worksheet. Play each of the following Tourism Australia campaign advertisements. As the students watch, they should complete the student worksheet by identifying the symbols, images and identities in each ad.

Tourism Australia “Come and Say G’day” (youtube.com/watch?v=0p-s1LmF3OQ)
There's Nothing Like Australia TVC (youtube.com/watch?v=awBbQhTXXWQ)
Tourism Australia and Chris Hemsworth (youtube.com/watch?v=vUF7ja9ehIs)

Some examples of the symbols, images and identities in each advertisement are:

Symbols: Animals (kangaroos, koalas, wombats) – unique wildlife that is not found anywhere else in the world. Rock art created by First Nations Australians is the oldest continuing culture in the world. Language, such as the word ‘mate’, is a typical, well-known slang word that characterises the warmth and friendliness of the Australian people.
Images: The outback, beaches and coastlines showcase the diversity of our country, its size and expanse.
Identities: First Nations Australians and Australian celebrities. People who would be well-known or recognised as Australians by tourists.

Learning extension: Discuss the concept of cliches and stereotypes in relation to representation.

Ask students to compare their responses to the sticky notes in the previous activity: Are the symbols, images and identities we see similar to those from our brainstorm at the beginning of the lesson? What do these similarities/differences suggest? Is the Australia represented in these advertisements familiar to you? Why/why not?

Step 2

Organise students into groups of 4. Select 1 of the tourism advertisements to play again for this activity, and explain that students will further analyse this video from different perspectives.

Assign each group a different ‘lens’ to view the advertisement through

First Nations Australians
migrants
young people
elderly people
people with a disability.

Step 3

Play the video again, and as students re-watch, encourage them to consider

if their allocated ‘Australian lens’ is represented – this could be via symbols, images or identity.
if they are represented and whether this is done accurately, or is it reinforcing a stereotype?
if they are not represented, why do they think this is the case?
Who else is included and excluded?

After watching, give students time to discuss their observations and ideas together in their groups.

Step 4

Bring the groups back together and discuss the following as a class:

What messages does this advertisement send about who belongs in Australia?
How might people feel if they don’t see themselves represented in advertisements, such as tourism campaigns?
Why do advertisers choose certain images or groups to include in these types of campaigns?
Is this the Australia that is reflected in your community?

Learning extension: Ask students to record their observations of imagery, language and symbols used to represent Australia in all of the media they consume in one day/week. Students share their findings and what they think this reflects or doesn’t reflect about Australia’s identity, what ‘image’ is communicated, and what the use of these features suggests about inclusion/exclusion and diversity.

Take Action: How do we want Australia to be represented?

Step 1

Ask students to reform into the same groups they were in for the previous activity. Explain that they are now going to build on their examination of Australia’s tourism advertising campaigns to discuss and identify

what they would change about the advertisement, specifically the symbols, imagery and who is represented
how the advertisement could be more inclusive and better reflect Australia’s diversity.

Step 2

Explain that students will design their own advertising posters in groups to promote a diverse and inclusive Australia. Highlight that students should apply to their designs what they have learnt about how symbols, images, language and identities are used to represent a place. Students could use physical or digital tools to create their poster.

Step 3

While 2 members of the group are designing the poster, the other 2 can write a short paragraph explaining the symbols, identities and images they have chosen and why they think these better represent an inclusive and diverse Australia.

Use Cool.org’s Act Framework to encourage students to promote their posters outside the classroom, such as publishing them in the school newsletter or writing to Tourism Australia with their suggestions.

Reflection

Bring the class back together and ask students to share:

What symbol and image do you think best represent a diverse and inclusive Australia, and why?

Marketing Australia

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Summary

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