Tourism South Australia ad campaign spoofs MPs' blacked-out claims forms

By Kate Nettleton, campaignlive.co.uk, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 09:20AM

LONDON - A new ad campaign for Tourism South Australia satirises the recent MPs' expenses scandal by using mocked-up censored claim forms.

Blacked out claims forms ... used to promote South Australian tourism

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Tags: South Australia Tourism campaign spoofs MP's blacked out claims forms

The forms, offering consumers the chance to "live like MPs" and claim free holidays to Adelaide's Kangaroo Island, are running as press ads in today's newspapers.

The campaign, created by M&C Saatchi also comprises a colour photograph of the idyllic island, which will run on the consecutive page behind the black-and-white claim form.

Additional itemised claims forms, supposedly completed by an MP who "sought temporary accommodation at Kangaroo island with family, whilst constituency house underwent renovation" at a total cost of £18,726, were left on a number of London buses and Tubes last night.

While the spoof itemised form carries no commercial branding, the logos of the South Australian Government, the airline Qantas and Flight Centre are included in the press ads.

Last week, the Commons authorities released hundreds of thousands of MPs' claims forms, but with large sections of the details blacked out, prompting further criticism over Westminster's spending habits.

The Government reacted yesterday by publishing its plans for MPs who violate expenses rules, which could see them jailed for up to a year.

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk