https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797618785617 Tourist Studies 2018, Vol. 18(3) 261–274 © The Author(s) 2018 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1468797618785617 journals.sagepub.com/home/tou ts Qantas still calls Australia home: The spirit of Australia and the flying kangaroo Leanne White College of Business, Victoria University, Australia Abstract An analysis of images of Australia in Qantas television advertising is undertaken in this article. The phenomenon of ‘commercial nationalism’ is investigated through a close textual analysis of Qantas advertisements broadcast via mainstream media, in particular television, between 1987 and 2017. The advertisements are examined by undertaking a semiotic analysis. The research methodology also combines shot combination analysis and a reading of the visual and acoustic channels of the advertisement. In examining some of the key Qantas advertising campaigns in popular media over the past 30 years, it is revealed that the significant airline and tourism company Qantas has sung loudly to the tune of nationalism for the benefit of their business. Keywords advertising, Australia, commercial nationalism, popular media, Qantas, tourism Introduction The analysis of images of Australia in Qantas television advertising is the central con- cern of this article. The phenomenon of ‘commercial nationalism’ will be primarily investigated through a close textual analysis of a sample of Qantas advertisements broad- cast via the popular medium of television between 1987 and 2017, as well as a wider examination of the use of commercial nationalism by Australia’s domestic and interna- tional airline. The Australian landscape such as outback, rural, city, suburban and beach locations will be examined in the advertisements. Popular or recognisable Australian landmarks will also be examined. Australian landscapes, landmarks and the Australian landmass (the shape of the continent as viewed from space) are important signifiers which have been employed in the airline’s advertising. Corresponding author: Leanne White, College of Business, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia. Email: LeanneK.White@vu.edu.au 785617TOU 0 0 10.1177/1468797618785617Tourist StudiesWhite research-article 2018 Article