Qantas releases Hugh Jackman/Kylie advertisement kept secret for 24 months

It was a long time coming but Qantas has finally dropped its new Spirit of Australia ad - and it's a tear-jerker.

The ad isn't technically new with CEO Alan Joyce today admitting that most of the footage had been shot in 2019, just before coronavirus up-ended the world and brought international travel to a standstill.

"Get the tissues ready," Joyce said from Qantas' HQ before the ad was screened for the first time.

"We have kept it in the can for over two years because the time has never been quite right ... it was filmed when things were very different but now is the right time.

"We couldn't do it until the whole country was together again because as the song says, 'one day we'll all be together once more'."

Aussie hunk Hugh Jackman has kept the role under wraps. Photo / Supplied

The ad takes a contemporary approach to Peter Allen's iconic I Still Call Australia Home and features vocals from Kylie Minogue, Hugh Jackman, Troye Sivan and the Australian Girls Choir together with National Boys Choir and the Gondwana Choir.

Recently retired tennis star Ash Barty makes an appearance alongside fellow sporting heroes Adam Goodes, Bronte Campbell and Ellie Cole.

The ad also features plenty of Australian personalities, revered leaders and local heroes including Aboriginal Elder Rene Kulitja, members of Bangarra Dance Theatre, children from Longreach and Qantas staff.

Kylie Minogue has kept the advert under wraps since her 'Mate Song' extravaganza was canned. Photo / Supplied

The ad was filmed at some of Australia's most incredible locations including the pink-hued Hutt Lagoon in Western Australia, the jagged cliffs of Cape Raoul in Tasmania, Uluru, the Whitsundays, Longreach, the salt lakes in South Australia, the Whitsundays, Bondi Beach, Sydney Harbour and overseas, the celebrities were also filmed in London, Tokyo and Los Angeles.

To make the ad more current, given the past two years of the pandemic, emotional footage of families reuniting at airports across Australia was added to the final cut.

The ad will hit TV screens, billboards, social media and mainstream media from Sunday and will be seen throughout the entirety of 2022.

Passengers returning to Australia via Qantas international flights will also see the ad on their way home.