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Silence From Robert Irwin As Defamation Deadline Against Senator Pauline Hanson Passes
Wildlife celebrity Robert Irwin has damaged his brand after a failed legal attempt to remove a parody video, according to a marketing expert.
Mr Irwin has remained silent after his threat to sue over the satirical cartoon published by Pauline Hanson's One Nation party on Friday.
The celebrity wildlife campaigner took offence at the video, which used his caricature to mock the Queensland government over its perceived failings ahead of the state election in October.
The cartoon spoofed a recent tourism advertising campaign fronted by Mr Irwin and children's television character Bluey.
Mr Irwin demanded through his Sunshine Coast lawyer Zoe Naylor that the video be taken down by 5pm on Monday — a directive that One Nation ignored.
The legal letter accused the video's producers of "unauthorised and deceptive use of our client's image".
Mr Irwin claimed, through his lawyer, that the "egregious" video may mislead viewers into believing he is aligned with One Nation.
Ms Hanson shared One Nation's legal response on social media, which describes the defamation threat as "misconceived" and "speculative".
"Your client's claims ... are so plainly inconsistent to be nonsensical," the letter says.
Ms Hanson said she looked forward to sharing a laugh with Mr Irwin over the matter one day.
Mr Irwin's legal team at FC Lawyers on the Sunshine Coast have not responded to the ABC's enquiries.
One Nation candidate James Ashby says the party hasn't received any further correspondence from Mr Irwin.
The ABC has tried to contact Mr Irwin multiple times for comment.
Bluey's creators have also been contacted for comment.
Andrew Hughes, a political marketing lecturer from the Australian National University, said Mr Irwin's reaction to the parody cartoon was misguided and brand-damaging.
"I think it's a wake-up call to be honest," he said.
Dr Hughes said celebrities can't have it both ways by curating positive press then complaining of negative coverage.
"The moment you put yourself out there, you're going to have parodies made of you," he said.
"People can make memes in literally seconds nowadays, so you are going to be made fun of in some way, shape or form."
He encouraged Mr Irwin to follow his father Steve's lead and embrace the parody.
"He was made fun of in South Park … it got him wider awareness in America, which is the holy grail for any marketer," he said.
Dr Hughes offered a creative solution for Mr Irwin to bounce back.
"Call one of the crocs 'Pauline' or something at your farm. And go, 'Pauline, she's always cranky but we have to feed her still.'
"Entertainment means we want to be having an enjoyable, positive experience."
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