A highly-publicised TV ad for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament is failing to persuade voters to back the constitutional reform.
The Yes campaign launched the You’re the Voice TV ad on September 3, with Australian music legend John Farnham lending his iconic song of the same name to the campaign in the hope it would help “change the lives of our First Nations people for the better”.
But new research by strategic insights business Pollinate shows the ad campaign is entrenching opposition among No voters and failing to persuade voters who are undecided.
Pollinate found that 34 per cent of No voters said the You’re the Voice TV ad had “reinforced their voting plans”, with a further 55 per cent saying it has not influenced them at all.
Among undecided voters, 66 per cent said the commercial had not influenced them, while 16 per cent said it had simply left them more confused.
The “You’re the Voice” ad features people sitting around a TV watching iconic moments in Australian sport and politics – ranging from 1967 referendum result to Cathy Freeman winning gold at the Sydney Olympics – all while Farnham’s hit song plays in the background.
Pollinate CEO Howard Parry-Husbands said the ad “clearly evokes powerful emotions” but his company’s research suggested it had “hardened people’s opinions”.
“Many of the ‘No’ voters think there is not enough detail and are angry at the lack of clear information for such an important issue. They want clarity not a cuddle,” Mr Parry Husbands said.
The You’re the Voice campaign was launched to significant fanfare, the 74-year-old Farnham revealing the song had changed his life and he hoped it could do the same for Indigenous Australians.
However the ad quickly caused a backlash among fans of the Australian music legend, with dozens of fans calling talkback radio to express their frustration the song was being used for political purposes and Farnham’s social media being flooded with angry messages.
According to Mr Parry-Husbands of Pollinate, the use of the song in the campaign had “exposed an angry and divided Australia”.
In response to the failure of the You’re the Voice campaign, ad agency The Hallway released a 2-minute animated film that “encourages Aussies to have respectful, well-informed conversations”.
The film features an Emu and a Kangaroo talking through the pros and cons of adding an Indigenous Voice to Parliament into the Australian constitution, while in the trees above them “Yes” and “No” backing galahs screech insults at each other.
“With our “Galahs” film, we’re hoping to play a part in encouraging Australians to block out the vitriol and have the conversations that will help them make a fully informed choice on October 14,” said Chief Creative Officer and joint owner of The Hallway Simon Lee.
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