Andrew Guild criticises the decision of the Billabong clothing company to not use an Australian as its main model for its worldwide advertising campaign.
With so many Australian jobs being lost in the global economic crisis, it boggles the mind that Billabong — an Australian icon — should choose an American model to be the face of its brand.
Billabong’s 2009 summer advertising campaign is being spearheaded by Tori Praver, an American model who normally lives and works in the USA (that is, she is not an American who has permanently moved here).
Australia has thousands of beautiful female models who could have been “the face of Billabong”; whilst beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is my personal opinion that many of them are more beautiful than the American model that Billabong chose. It is not as though our models are incapable of taking on demanding modelling roles — it’s what they do for a living.
This is just another example of the effects of globalisation upon the Australian economy and the Australian people.
Even though the amount of money Tori Praver will be taking out of the country will be minor, compared to other monies flowing out of Australia, it is just another part of the unnecessary trickle effect that is slowly bleeding the productive wealth out of our nation. Spending money outside of Australia can be an important part of many businesses, but to do so unnecessarily just shows a lack of regard for the Australian nation.
When it comes down to it, it is Billabong’s money and they can do what they like with it. But it is disappointing that they did not choose an Australian woman, when there are so many local models who are willing and able to do the job.
Maybe next year Billabong will have the community-mindedness to hire a local lass.
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