Trashy or genius? TikTok stars paid to visit ‘most boring state ever’ at taxpayers’ expense

You’d think being titled the ‘most boring state ever’ would be a disaster for tourism. But that label has been used to the marketing advantage of one Australian state.

Although not everyone agrees, it’s the best idea.

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The South Australia Tourism Commission partnered with marketing firm, Komodo, to host a TikTok creator camp in South Australia last year.

Twelve social media influencers were invited to experience, “the very best that SA has to offer”.

The content creators were given personalised itineraries, which included touring key local attractions and being invited to network events.

They posted their trips to their social media accounts, some of them with the caption, “Ready to run amok in the most boring state ever”, along with a series of videos that were meant to debunk that title.

SATC said the campaign was viewed 5 million times through people’s TikTok feeds.

But the campaign has been slammed by the state opposition for trashing the South Australia brand.

Deputy opposition leader John Gardner questioned how much money was spent and whether it would have any success promoting SA.

“South Australians are fighting a cost-of-living crisis, and we cannot afford to have another situation where social media influencers are being chauffeured around the state and living the high life on the taxpayer dime just to shoot a few videos,” he said.

“Peter Malinauskas and Zoe Bettison need to come clean with South Australians and reveal how much taxpayer money was spent on treating 12 TikTok creators to a luxury jaunt.”

Earlier this year, the state government paid for 300 social media influencers and media personalities to attend an exclusive Sam Smith concert held at McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg Cube winery.

Tourism minister Zoe Bettison said at the time the event cost less than the $1,000,000 estimated by the opposition. But she refused to reveal the exact government expenditure on it.

An evaluation of the event has estimated it generated the equivalent of $32 million dollars in advertising value.

Treasurer Stephen Mulligan said he could not disclose the cost of the TikTok campaign because of a commercial in confidence agreement with the agencies involved.

He said such social media events were designed to attract young visitors to SA.

“What we’re trying to do is demonstrate that person’s perception of Adelaide is patently wrong. That was the whole idea behind it,” he said.