The council has lined up local celebs, like pop star Darren Hayes and Olympian Steven Bradbury, to star in a $300,000 advertising blitz.

But the mayor doesn’t want to include supermodel Catherine McNeil, who once called herself the “Bogan from Logan”.

“We want to change the perception of Logan,” Mayor Pam Parker said.

In the words of Logan resident Spanky on news.com.au, “Perhaps spending money on roads, infrastructure and employment would be better. Alas, I guess, for a half-educated bogan, the proposed campaign makes rooly good cents.”

But the 19-year-old McNeil, dubbed “fashion’s latest crush” by the New York Times, is out and proud as a bogan.

“It’s pretty hard to find Versace in Logan,” McNeil said.

“I didn’t even know how to say it properly. I shopped at Supre and City Beach.”

This refreshingly down-to-earth and ethereally beautiful woman is now among the world’s top 12 models, gracing the catwalks of Milan, Paris and New York. With her Amazonian limbs, silky hair and straight, white teeth, she’s not your average bogan.

According to bogan.com.au, the species can usually be characterised by a “pronounced lack of dress sense (flanelette shirt, soiled jeans and black thongs/ugg boots), a lack of personal hygiene (the most common fragrance is Odour of Toilet), a particular choice in motor vehicle (Holden or Ford), and the ubiquitous mullet hairstyle.

But the bogan has undergone a Mao-style Cultural Revolution.

Ugg boots are suddenly cool, popularised by world-famous bogan Pamela Anderson, and the mullet is tres chic (although the pronunciation is now “mull-AY”).

Locals in Penrith, Logan’s spiritual cousin, have set up a website where those from the “riff” can take a quiz to determine “how ‘Penriff’ are you?”

Some of Australia’s best-known personalities are from Bogan-villes.

Eddy McGuire makes much of his rough and tumble upbringing in Broadmeadows, on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley and swimmer Geoff Huegill hail from Redcliffe (otherwise known as ‘Redneck’), Logan’s sister city on the other side of Bris-Vegas.

I, too, have fond memories of growing up there. To this day, Dad still drives a Ford – he wouldn’t be seen dead in a Holden.

Bogan Idol is about to hit our screens, from the creators of Fat Pizza.

Parker needs to get with the script and embrace her inner-bogan when councillors decide on the Catherine McNeil ad.

Her colleague Sean Black remains defiant. “Catherine McNeil isn’t scared to shout about being a bogan from Logan, so why should we be?”

By Hannah Davies | January 06, 2009

THERE’S a golden rule behind a new $300,000 campaign to boost Logan’s image – don’t mention the word “bogan”.

The Queensland city’s council has lined up an array of local celebrities, such as pop star Darren Hayes and Olympian Steven Bradbury, to star in its new advertising blitz.

But there’s a big question mark over whether or not to include supermodel Catherine McNeil, who proudly describes herself as “the bogan from Logan”.

Logan has long been the butt of bogan jokes because the two words form a convenient rhyme but Mayor Pam Parker said it was time for the city to shake off its downmarket image.

“We want to change the external perception of Logan,” she said.

 ”Including the word bogan in a campaign like this will only reinforce a negative message in people’s minds.”

During the next 20 years, 200,000 people are expected to move into the region and it is hoped the campaign will attract business investors.

The council believes the city is now coming of age, with award-winning restaurants and popular shopping areas.

The Logan campaign will be launched across the southeast next month and will feature a new city song.

A council spokeswoman told The Courier-Mail that councillors would decide on the Catherine McNeil ad later this month.

Cr Sean Black, who has driven the campaign, said it was a fuss about nothing.

“I don’t care if our image is that we are bogans,” he said.

 ”Catherine McNeil isn’t scared to shout about being a bogan from Logan, so why should we be?”

LOGAN’S Catherine McNeil notched up her first Vogue cover this month and has now been hailed as one of the country’s top 10 supermodels on the front of Madison.

McNeil has joined the likes of Brisbane-born Alyssa Sutherland, David Jones’ new face Miranda Kerr and face of Sportsgirl Abbey Lee in helping make cancer research glamorous for a Witchery promotion.

The girls model a set of 10 white shirts and tops available through Witchery, which is donating profits to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.

Rounding out the top 10 is Skye Strakke, Pania Rose, Elyse Taylor, Sarah Stephens, Nicole Trunfio and Jessica Gomes. See their pictures here

The charitable threads aim to raise $500,000 for ovarian cancer research.

These 10 top Aussie models — most of whom call New York home — feature in Madison magazine, out today, as part of Witchery’s White Shirt campaign.

The home-grown hotties — including Miranda Kerr, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Catherine McNeil and Alyssa Sutherland — are wearing white duds from the fashion chain where 100 per cent of the price tag will go to helping fight ovarian cancer.

Adding to the true-blue talent flavour, the gals were snapped for the mag by Ben Watts, the Big Apple-based fashion photographer brother of screen star Naomi Watts

LEADING Queensland model Catherine McNeil is making a strong recovery from a mystery illness that forced her out of recent top European fashion shows, friends and family say.

The Logan-raised 19-year-old raised eyebrows last month when she pulled out of the Milan and Paris fashion spectaculars, with her agent expanding no further than saying she was “unwell”.

Exhaustion and homesickness had caught up with the globetrotting beauty and she just needed a break from the spotlight, according to industry friends and her grandmother, Sandra McNeil.

“She’s just burned out,” Mrs McNeil said.

She said her granddaughter, who spent at least half the year on the road, was recuperating at her New York base and would be back at work again “soon”.
McNeil’s Sydney rep Kathy Ward, from Chic Model Management, expected McNeil to be back to full health soon.

McNeil appeared on last month’s cover of Vogue Australia and the magazine’s editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements said her absence from Milan and Paris would have no effect on her career.

“She’s at the top of her game so it’s not going to matter,” Ms Clements said.

“She’s one of the Top 10 (models) in the world and really only does the top-level stuff now.”

HOMESICKNESS has been cited as the mystery illness forcing Australian fashion star, Catherine McNeil off Europe’s catwalks. Have your say!Add your comments or read what others are saying
As revealed in Confidential last week, the 19-year-old was forced to pull out of Milan and Paris fashion weeks because of an undisclosed ailment.

GALLERY: SEE CATWALK STUNNER CATHERINE ON THE RUNWAY

PLUS: WHY CATHERINE MCNEIL IS SO HOT TO TROT!

However, fashion insiders claim exhaustion and homesickness are to blame.

The self-confessed tomboy from Logan, on Queensland’s Gold Coast, is believed to be prone to bouts of missing her more laidback Aussie lifestyle. Her grandmother Sandra McNeil confirmed the model was taking time off at her New York base to rest.

“She’s just burned out,” Mrs McNeil said, adding her granddaughter would be back at work “soon”.

McNeil’s Chic Model Management representative in Sydney, Kathy Ward, claimed the illness had been “blown out of proportion” despite confirming the situation to Confidential last week.

McNeil was expected to return to work for her many lucrative and high-profile advertising accounts in the coming weeks, she said.

Industry experts were quick to state the time off could prove more than healthy for her state of mind and her career.

Vogue Australia editor Kirstie Clements, who featured McNeil on this month’s cover, said the model was “at the top of her game.”

“She’s so far up the tree, it wouldn’t matter (if she missed Milan and Paris). She really only does the top-level stuff now and she’s got some big advertising campaigns booked,” she said.

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