Qantas unveils third installment of 'Home' campaign

SYDNEY: Qantas has unveiled the third instalment of its 'I still call Australia home' advertising extravaganza, paying a premium to appear as the first ad during the top-rating Australian telecast of the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games. Created by Singleton, Ogilvy & Mather, Australia, Qantas will heavily rotate the 60-second spot throughout the Games' coverage on the Seven network.

The agency is not releasing the production budget, but it is believed to be one of the most expensive campaigns in Australian history, costing A$10 million (US$7.2 million).

Like the previous two branding campaigns, which first launched in 1998 and reappeared in 2000, it features children from the National Boys Choir and The Australian Girls Choir performing a stirring rendition of Peter Allen's I still call Australia home against a backdrop of gorgeous locations in Australia and around the world. These include Tasmania's Cradle Mountain, The Opera House, Bondi Icebergs, the Pilbara region in Western Australia and Victoria's Wallace Hut. International icons such as the Eiffel Tower, a junk in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, London's Wellington Arch and the Temple of Poseidon in Athens also serve as a backdrop. The final scene is an aerial shot taken over Whitehaven Beach in Queensland with 500 children forming the kangaroo-shaped Qantas logo.

Directed by Wayne Maule of Plush Films, filming took five months and involved 656 production crew from nine countries. A total distance of 169,561 kilometres was travelled during the shoot capturing 245 hours of film.

While some have criticised Qantas for taking the same creative direction for the past six years, Qantas executive GM John Borghetti stood by the blockbuster: "'I still call Australia home' is one of the most popular campaigns in Australian advertising. We chose destinations that provided a dramatic backdrop for the children's performances, with a blend of locations to capture the excitement and enjoyment of travel."

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