Generating publicity is at the top of my to-do list these days. A web service like Scouta requires slightly different angles to other everyday services, given that we’re trying to reach people that currently find online audio and video valuable for whatever reasons. Later this will extend, as the Internet as a distribution platform for the lounge room and mobile devices grows.

So, when I was reminded of the Nullarbor Nymph this afternoon, it was great timing.

The story says that back in 1971 there was a few sightings of a semi-naked woman on the Nullarbor Plane. Apparently she was friendly with a bunch of kangaroos, and was only clothed by a kangaroo skin bikini.

A Time magazine article at the time had this to say.

Desert-wise oldtimers in the sun-parched Nullarbor, however, were not convinced. “Any bird go flitting around in the scrub here with nothing on,” snorted one bushman, “would bloody soon burn off what’s bobbing, I can tip you.” Added Sheep Farmer Harvey Gurney: “The water holes are all dried up. She’d be burned to a crisp.”

It turns out the old blokes had it right, and that the Nullarbor Nymph was a hoax. Apparently, when a PR executive from Perth couldn’t afford to pay his hotel bill at the Eucla Motel, he said he’d put it on the map as payment. So he sent the story to a newspaper, and before long journalists around Australia, the U.S. and a full documentary crew from the BBC were on the way to Eucla.

So, if anyone has any ideas for Scouta’s Nullarbor Nymph, we’re all ears.

News.com.au has an article about the Nymph if you’re keen for more of the legend.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2007 at 11:30 am by Richard and is filed under Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.