It’s been 17 years (aargh!) since he first graced our screens, but now young Daniel has returned in a new Telstra ad, only all grown up and slightly better-informed.
You may remember Daniel, played by Brandon Fraser in the iconic Bigpond ad from 2005, asking his well-meaning Dad why they built the Great Wall of China, only to be told it was built by “Emperor Nasi Goreng” to “keep the rabbits out”.
Now, Telstra has re-enlisted Brandon to play Daniel – or “Uncle Dan”, these days – in a new ad spruiking the telco’s move to provide free wi-fi from selected payphones.
“I was told once that it was to keep the rabbits out. Too many rabbits,” Dan tells his nephew when asked why the Great Wall of China was built. “But it was actually built to protect Emperors’ territories.”
Unfortunately, as you’ll see in the ad, Uncle Dan is less knowledgeable about why they built the Colosseum and the Great Pyramid… but thankfully, his nephew is able to put on a far better-received school presentation thanks to the free payphone wi-fi.
That free wi-fi, by the way, is now available to everyone at 3,000 payphones around Australia. Telstra also plans to upgrade all of its 15,000 payphones – which already offer free calls as of last year – to provide the service over the next few years.
It’s the kind of public infrastructure project that would make the great Emperor Nasi Goreng proud.
