Farnham,who hasrecently recovered from a battle with cancer and has kept out of the public spotlight,only appears in the commercial via archival footage.
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But his song provides the soundtrack as the ad features snippets of key moments in history includingthe 1967 referendum,which allowed Indigenous people to be included in the population,the Mabo High Court decision,Cathy Freeman’s gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics,John Howard’s 1996 gun reform,the 2008apology to the stolen generations andthe 2017 marriage equality plebiscite.
Uluru Dialogue co-chair Megan Davis said her group contacted Farnham more than a year ago to secure his support.
“You’re the Voice is the nation’s unofficial anthem,” Davis said. “History isn’t just something we witness and observe,but something we ourselves can influence. And now we all have a voice in what happens at this critical moment,and we must use it.”
Hitting the hustings alongside ACT independent senator David Pocock in the Canberra suburb of Woden on Saturday,Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the ad as “extraordinarily powerful”,and took aim at the No campaign. “Compare that with the campaign against this,which is negative,based upon things that aren’t going to happen,” Albanese said.
Uluru Dialogue and Yes23 are the two key Yes campaign organisations. Uluru Dialogue has been running a low-key campaign,largely focusing on holding information sessions in regional areas,while Yes23 has co-ordinated the larger national advocacy effort,concentrating on cities.
Glenn Wheatley and John Farnham at the height of the singer’s fame.Credit:Gaynor Wheatley
Farnham’s support marks something of a departure for the Yes campaign,which has otherwise pivoted away from celebrity endorsements so not to isolate ordinary voters,while trying to neutralise attacks from the No side about its support from “elite” sources such as Wesfarmers,Qantas and other big corporates.
A Yes23 insider,who was not authorised to speak publicly about the group’s strategy,said the campaign would still selectively use high-profile people who resonated with “ordinary Australians”,pointing to recent endorsements from singersPaul Kelly and Jimmy Barnes.
Leading No campaigner Warren Mundine said they would also be ramping up their advertising spend over the coming weeks.
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“Social media is a big thing for us. Yes,of course we’ll be doing some TV ads,but most of it is going to be done in the battleground states of Tasmania and South Australia,” he said.
Farnham’s endorsement continues a historical trend of campaigns tapping into the gravitas of high-profile figures to sell a message.
A host of celebrities were at the forefront of Gough Whitlam’s 1972 election victory for Labor. The phrase “It’s Time” was popularised and followed by a catchy song featured in a TV commercial and sung by celebrities including Little Pattie,Jacki Weaver,Bobby Limb,Jack Thompson,Barry Crocker,Col Joye and Bert Newton.