Bureau of Meteorology Rebranding Exercise Shut Down By Minister

Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek at the National Press Club in Canberra, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Australia’s federal minister for the environment and water has shut down the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) rebranding exercise telling the department to focus on the weather instead of what people call it.

Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, told The Guardian on Wednesday that Australians should be free to call it whatever they like and that she did not “quite understand” why the bureau commenced a rebrand to update its name and logo.

“The Bureau of Meteorology, the BoM—Australians will make up their own minds about what they call it,” Plibersek said.

The minister indicated on Tuesday that she thought that the BoM should have been focusing on the severe weather events.

“What matters is accurate and timely weather information for communities, particularly during severe weather like we’re experiencing right now. That’s where my focus is. People are hurting,” she said.

Plibersek also released the cost of the total rebranding effort, which The Guardian reported as costing more than $220,000 (US$140,000), and covered an update to the BoM’s visual style and logo, research, pull-up banners, and media engagement.

The Bureau announced its rebranding exercise on Tuesday in a media release where it requested media outlets to stop referring to it by its longstanding household nickname, “the BoM,” or “the Weather Bureau.” Instead, it requested to be called “the Bureau” at the second reference, in line, it says with the 1955 Meteorology Act.

“With an ever-increasing number of severe weather events, it is more crucial than ever that the Bureau of Meteorology’s insights, wisdom, data and information are shared, understood and acted upon,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

“To support this need, the Bureau of Meteorology asks that media outlets update editorial style to ensure references to the organisation are by its full name, the Bureau of Meteorology or the Bureau for short, and not BOM or the Weather Bureau.”

Australians Make Light of the Request

However, the rebranding exercise sparked a maelstrom of bemused and mischievous responses from Australians who have taken to social media to respond to the rebranding.

Australian football club Carlton FC made light of the change in a post on Twitter, making a reference to one of their team’s stars Tom De Koning.

“We no longer want Tom De Koning to be called ”TDK“ ... Please refer to him either as ”Koning“ or ”The Tom.“ Thanks in advance,” the club said on Twitter.

Australian satirical comedy group The Chaser also took to Twitter to request that the press please utilise the organisation’s full title, the Bureau of Chasereology.

AAP contributed to this report.