OVERSEAS TELEPHONE CALLS | YUGOSLAVIA | 1977
1977, Calling the Homeland from Australia / OVERSEAS TELEPHONE CALLS "YUGOSLAVIA"
1977. An international phone service in Australia used the voices of immigrants from Yugoslavia, and won the Grand Prix at Cannes.
The problem
OTC (the Overseas Telecommunications Commission) was a state-run Australian organization founded in 1946 that handled the country's international phone and telecommunications services. "YUGOSLAVIA" was part of a series of ads called "Memories," created by George Patterson.
The insight
In industry media years later, this series was remembered as something that "still brings back childhood memories even after 25 years." It seems the ads were built around the idea that each immigrant's personal memories would somehow overlap with the viewer's own memories.
What happened
The ad won the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. It was the first Cannes Grand Prix win for the George Patterson agency, and for Australia.
Afterthought
In 1970s Australia, there were immigrants who had come from many different countries, and they used international phone calls to stay connected to the homes they'd left far behind. That's really all there is to it. But surely, packed into those "voices" were feelings too big for words. I hope watching it lets you feel some of that.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1977
