Over the past 21 years the Big Mango has been selected to participate in two media stunts that attracted national attention, not only promoting the ‘stunt’, but also shining a spotlight on Bowen.
In 2014, the international restaurant franchise, Nando’s, launched their new Mango and Lime range with a clever stunt that kept the whole country guessing.
This was the year that the Big Mango completely disappeared and for a few days it seemed like it had really been stolen.
That was before a smaller 6-metre replica of the Big Mango was revealed in Federation Square in Melbourne, and Nandos confessed to the ‘crime’.
The magnanimous restaurant company were thrilled with the response and donated the smaller replica to Bowen.
It now sits at the Bowen Tourism and Business’ Information Centre on Front Beach.
Earlier this year the Big Mango was removed in media stunt once again.
This time it was replaced with an inflatable Big Mango that had been cut in half.
The half remaining symbolised the 50 per cent of unpaid invoices small businesses have to face each year.
It was commissioned by cloud accounting platform, Xero, to bring awareness to the plight of millions of small business owners who lose money each year due to late payments.
While the stunt once again attracted the desired national media attention, it also gave Whitsunday Regional Council the opportunity to install new legs and an internal refurbishment to make the mango more durable.
A few weeks later it was also given a fresh paint job, so it looked perfect for its big 21st birthday.
Bowen Tourism and Business Manager, Leanne Abernethy, said that the stunts had proven very popular and a great way to promote the region.
“The first stunt took place almost nine years ago and yet we still get asked about it in the visitor information centre,” she said.
Kenny the Big Mango Mascot standing in front of the ‘half-mango’ earlier this year for the Xero publicity stunt. Photo supplied
