Qantas

Experience 2008 Australia

The world's oldest continuingly operating airline? KLM was founded in 1919 but it has merged with Air France since then. So, Qantas (est. 1920) claims the title now, showcasing their "customer service and operational excellence" in this commercial. This is possibly in reference to their excellent safety record when it comes to jet airliner flights. Straying away for a moment from its long-time signature song, "I Still Call Australia Home" (see below), this ad uses instead a soft instrumental version of a 1980's hit song, "Down Under" by Men At Work. It's a pleasantly surprising change. Regrettably, the slogan is only a pale copy of one of Pan Am's famous slogans: "The World's Most Experienced Airline."

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 2.02 MB, from Qantas)

You can find other recent Qantas commercials on the official Qantas channel on YouTube.

Australia Home 1 1997 Australia

Peter Allen, popular singer in Australia, wrote a very patriotic song, "I Still Call Australia Home", which became the "signature song" of Qantas. In this 3-minute commercial, some of Australia's renowned singers (Kate Cerebrano, Jack Jones, James Blundell, just to name a few) sing this very patriotic song, as a tribute to the national airline. Watch it for the beauty of the images, the voices, the world-wide landscape and its exotism. And aviation fans, save your breath for the final 30 seconds featuring magnificent Qantas B747 air-to-air footage. A very beautiful award-winning commercial, which inspired something even greater, in 1999. song lyrics...

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 10.4 MB, from The Night of the AdEaters)

Australia Home 2 1999 Australia

Shortly before the 1999 Superbowl, and during other occasions, people worldwide have seen a very special Qantas commercial featuring the Australian Girls Choir and National Boys Choir. The same song, interpreted differently, trimmed down to 2 minutes, and filmed in many many corners of the globe, such as the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, the Great Wall of China, the Kings Canyon in Australia, etc. The most expensive Australian ad ever made (USD 3 million) and one of the most expensive worldwide, this is truly impressive. The result is one of my all-time favorite commercials. The image quality has been improved and the picture is no longer dark.

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 6.7 MB, from HKAirPhoto.net)

Australia Home 3 2001 Australia

Qantas did it again. A beautiful sequel, featuring the unforgettable Australian Girls Choir and National Boys Choir, in places as diverse as China, India, New Zealand, Tanzania and of course, Australia. According to Qantas, the commercial now has a "classical film feel" thanks to a revised musical score. Good news: you now have a video with a better resolution.

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 7.49 MB, from YouTube user)

Australia Home 4 2004 Australia

Could the latest ad in the series, featuring a folk-like version of "I Still Call Australia Home", be the most splendid so far? The soundtrack is illustrated more beautifully than ever, like with a merry-go-round in Paris during the "...spinning 'round the world" bit. More beautiful destinations are featured, including every Australian state. Stay focused during the last few seconds of the commercial, for a beautiful surprise on Whitehaven Beach (Queensland), made by 500 boys and girls.

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 4.62 MB, from YouTube user)

View alternate version of this commercial (external link to YouTube)

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