HEARD ON THE BEAT / ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Koala Comeback: Qantas Airways is bringing its koala icon out of retirement after nearly a decade. The koala will be used to tout the airline’s service in ads from London-based M&C; Saatchi. The koala, used from 1967 to 1990, had been portrayed as a curmudgeon who never was pleased with the airline’s service, prompting the tag line “I hate Qantas.” The new commercials will show a gentler koala who loves the airline’s service. The koala was “one of the most recognizable advertising images in America during the ‘70s and ‘80s,” said Peter McLaughlin, Qantas’ vice president of marketing. “In market research, people were certain the koala had been part of campaigns that never included a koala. That was a strong indicator that we had a very powerful icon on our hands.”