'Crane' told the story of an elderly lady complaining of a noisy line. Just to satisfy her, (and a few million other customers) the old horn aerials on the Tower were replaced with modern dish antenna to give improved capacity and transmission on many routes. And did she appreciate it - no! 

The secret of this lady's happiness will soon be revealed. She appears in a new television commercial to be broadcast early October (1987). It's the next stage in our campaign to demonstrate British Telecom's commitment to improving our service to customers. This time, the example we've chosen is our massive programme to modernise the telephone network.

A Fair Hearing

The commercial focuses on one thing in particular - and that's the largely unseen role that British Telecom plays in daily life. It's a way of demonstrating to our customers that British Telecom is all too easily taken for granted.

And that all too often we're judged solely on the basis of past mistakes, not past achievements. Now we're doing our utmost to get ourselves a fair hearing. And that means the clear-cut communication of what it is we really stand for. A company committed to its customers both publicly and behind the scenes.

Our New Image

Our first commercial - "It's you we answer to" - was a radical departure from anything we'd done before. For the first time, it showed the human face of British Telecom - a company that's helpful as well as expert, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. Now in our second commercial, we're going one stage further - with a story built round the old lady in our pictures - to illustrate British Telecom's commitment to improving our service to customers.

It is however, only one example of that commitment. The whole story is far broader - and all of us have a part to play in it.

Why Advertise?
 
"Crane" (as our new commercial is called) is actually based on a true event. In May last year (1986), we replaced old microwave equipment at the top of the British Telecom Tower. The biggest crane in Britain was at the centre of the operation. Now it's at the centre of our new commercial. But why the commercial? Firstly, because "Crane" is concrete evidence of British Telecom's largely invisible role in maintaining and upgrading Britain's telecommunications network - proof of the staggering complexity of our technology and the sheer scale and pace of our investment.

Secondly, because there's no better way to dramatise our customer commitment. And thirdly, because if we want a fair hearing from our customers, we must let them hear our side of the story.

Modernising The Network
 
Many of us are actually involved with the network modernisation programme on a daily basis. For other people nothing could seem further from their working lives. But the truth is that network modernisation matters to all of us in the same way - because is it of critical importance to our customers. "Crane" gives us an opportunity to put over the sheer scale of this programme, and to highlight some of its benefits. Like quicker connection, clearer calls, fewer crossed lines and less interference.

(As "Crane" amply demonstrates, the improvement with digital technology is already being felt.) As network modernisation gathers pace, Star Services - which offers call diversion, automatic alarm calls, signals on the line to warn of incoming calls - will be increasingly available for business and residential customers alike.

We're spending over £2 billion a year on network modernisation, installing the latest equipment designed to serve the nation's telecommunication needs well into the next century.

Look out for "Crane" from October 3rd.* You'll find it most uplifting.

*Unless you live in the Central TV area - first screening January 1988.

A YouTube vid of the 1988 'Crane' TV advert. 
Link may be subject to change; watch at your own risk.