"Global Anthem" was an American television commercial created by advertising agency JWT Detroit for Ford Motor Company (FMC) in 1999.
[22] The plan was to get the widest possible exposure of the Ford message from a single airing of one global multi-brand commercial over a 24-hour period two months ahead of the year 2000.
In the closing sequence, Church appears on camera singing "Just Wave Hello" as the sun rises over the horizon at the Minack Theatre near Land's End in Cornwall, England.
[6][26][5] The sound track "Just Wave Hello" was an original composition by Danny Beckerman[27] and written in collaboration with Arthur Ted Powell[5][10][17][28] and recorded by Charlotte Church at Olympic Studios in London on July 7, 1999.
[10][36] Church sang "Just Wave Hello" at the Millennium Dome in London as part of the official millennium celebrations, and in front of a crowd of 72,000 people at the closing ceremony of the Rugby World Cup final at Cardiff Arms Park in Church's hometown of Cardiff in Wales in November 1999, and numerous concerts and events around the world, including Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on 25 November 1999.
[25] Director of photography Simon Duggan from Sydney Australia shot an estimated 150,000 feet of film that was cut into 1,2,3 minute versions by Third Floor Editing senior editor Barry McMann over six weeks in Toronto, Canada.
[6] By the end of the day, it had aired in South America, Canada, Asia, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East, India, the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa, everywhere except North Korea.
[47] Television viewers in the USA saw Anthem again on January 1, 2000, during coverage of highly watched events, including the Rose Parade on the ABC and CBS networks.
The ad also aired on New Year's Day during broadcast coverage of blockbuster movies like The Bodyguard on CBS and Jurassic Park on NBC, in addition to running on other network and cable programs.
Some media commentators at the time compared it to iconic television commercials "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" (Coca-Cola, 1988) and "Face" (British Airways, 1989) as historically significant.
"[58] Presenting a commercial to millions of people at the same hour was emblematic of the extraordinary steps major marketers like Ford took at the time to stand out in a crowded broadcast media landscape.
[6][7][63] Ford strategically announced their plans in advance and there was widespread news coverage prior to the ads premier generating ‘free’ airtime.
[52][67] An unscripted scene with the Chinese Army unexpectedly marching into shot at Meridian Gate in the Forbidden City in Beijing was edited out of the commercial that aired in China.
[5] A request came from a governing body of medical doctors in the United Kingdom who expressed concern that the fast-moving scenes could trigger an attack among those with epilepsy and adjustments were made.
Production Crew: Edouard Nammour – Director; Donald Cager – Associate Producer; Loretta Tassotti – Associate Producer; Susan DePalma – Line Producer; Scott Kennedy – Production Assistant; Logan Luchsinger – Talent Coordinator; Lisa Fincannon – Casting Director; Suzanne Bailey – Casting Associate; Simon Duggan – Director of Photography; Simon Quaife – Key Grip; Benjamin Shirley – First Camera Assistant; Brock Houghton – Production Designer; Jackie Alloca – Stylist Charlotte Church – Solo soprano; Danny Beckerman – Composer; Ric Formosa – Conductor; Michael Costa – Programming; Tony Campana – Final Mixer, Yessian Music, Detroit; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Melbourne Grammar School choir Barry McMann – Film Editor, Third Floor Editing; Jane Broadfoot – Third Floor Editing producer; Denise Thomson – Assistant; Mike Pethel – Colorist Company 3 Santa Monica; Elaine Ford – Colorist, ToyBox; Jeff Campbell – Inferno artist Argentina – Vella y Asociados; Australia – Filmgraphics; Japan/China – Twenty First City; Germany – Production House; London – Branded Film[45]