NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia — Sex sells, at least that’s what one guerrilla group of people in Australia’s Northern Territory is banking on.
The group has launched an underground tourism campaign that’s aimed at young people, which at first glance seems harmful enough, right? Until a second glance reveals the not-so-subtle and, some may say ‘clever’, positioning of the words ‘CU in the NT’.
See it now?
The controversial design, which surfaced online last week, has been splashed all over t-shirts and social media, drawing a lot of attention – and ire – from tourists and government officials alike. To make matters even more cheeky, the logo is followed by the slogan, ‘The top end, different from the bottom end.’
The website, called ‘NT Official’, sells t-shirts, singlets and stickers, all emblazoned with the slogan. The group has more than 6,000 likes on its Facebook page.
In a media statement on Monday, NT Official said its aim was to “bring attention to the unique Northern Territory as an ideal destination for the young or young at hearts.”
Despite the group’s seemingly innocent intentions, others aren’t so keen on the campaign. ‘NT Official’ is anything but, to the point where the government had no idea of its existence. The group is not affiliated with the government body Tourism NT, which says it is now looking into whether its logos infringe on their trademark.
According to the Daily Mail, a Tourism NT spokesperson said the issue is more with the pictures rather than the lewd slogan.
“Tourism NT is aware of inappropriate use of our trademarked Brolga logo. We don’t condone these actions and are in no way affiliated with such promotions,” Tourism NT posted on its Facebook page on Monday.