The captivating adventures of Megan Gale in Omnitel/Vodafone spots
This Thursday we want to remember one of the campaigns that made history in modern Italian advertising: the Megan Gale – Omnitel partnership.
Italy was just opening up to new technologies, the telephone market was finally leaving SIP (Società Italiana per l’Esercizio Telefonico which then became Telecom Italia spa) behind and Cher had just shot back to world fame with her single Believe (which also earned her a Grammy Award).
A young Australian model unexpectedly became a household name in Italy thanks to a certain advert that meant instant notoriety. From 1999 to 2006, Megan Gale was the face of Omnitel/Vodafone and this was how her adventures began. The debut spot was hugely popular: the first episode of a spy story unfolded to the sound of Believe.
It was 2001 and the spot was branded Vodafone; it was a turning point in the company’s communication strategy. The brand was growing and its heroine evolved too. The femme fatale became more aware of her abilities, a woman capable of tackling impossible challenges. Here we encounter her running in the rain and then scaling an enormous building in Seattle.
The soundtrack to accompany the model this time was the track Sky by British singer and DJ Sonique. The single, the third released from her album Hear My Cry, was very successful in Italy, partly thanks to the famous spot. It was also well-received in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Great Britain and Norway, where it made the top ten best-selling singles.
Interpreted by heroine Megan Gale, the words seem to describe the growth of Vodafone.
Look at me
It really was not easy
But I can breathe
And I’m so grateful ‘cause I can see
I am free to do exactly what I please
So come with me to a place where we can be
Ooh I wanna touch the sky
I wanna fly so high
We don’t know the exact figures for Omnitel/Vodafone sales in the period of time analysed, but based on a few clues, we can say that the choice of Megan Gale, the creative concept and the selected soundtracks saw Vodafone flying high indeed.
What makes us think that?
The single Believe sold 13.5million copies
The payoff “Tutto intorno a te” (“All around you”) was so catchy that we still haven’t forgotten it The single Sky made it to number three in the Italian charts
Megan Gale was requested twice for Christmas campaigns after her contract had finished.
