GREGG’S COFFEE. DIFFERENT FACES [SUMMER SPOT]

This is the second Gregg’s “Different Faces” black and white television advertisement from the 1970s showing a multicultural and diverse New Zealand as part of the Gregg’s instant coffee ad campaign. It is believed that this is one of the first (non-animated) television commercial campaigns to include Māori, Asians and Polynesians.

People enjoy the sunshine on a beach (Oriental Bay, Wellington). They include children, older people, and an South Asian family. People relaxing on a yacht. Children on swings in a park. The jingle celebrates “different faces, many races, living in the sun.” A shot of a Gregg’s Instant Coffee jar in conclusion, with onscreen text, “Gregg’s - good taste of our times”.

The music for the catchy jingle was written by APRA Silver Scroll winner Dave Jordan and the lyric by John Dawson, with both providing the arrangement. An early version, John tells us, “was sung by Simon Morris, but it was too ‘edgy’ for the client, so we re-did the vocals with Alan Galbraith.” He describes this version as a follow up 'summer spot’ to the original Different Faces commercial.