Florence Warner, singer behind iconic ‘Hello’ TV campaigns, dies at 77

Florence Warner, a singer whose voice became synonymous with some of the most recognizable television commercial campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s, died at her home in San Francisco on Sept. 19. She was 77.

Born in Atlanta, Warner was known primarily for her work on television advertisements, most notably the “Hello” image campaign created by Gari Communications. Her voice became a familiar presence across countless media markets in the United States and beyond. These campaigns featured localized versions that paired Warner’s vocals with custom lyrics.

In total, the “Hello” image campaign appeared in over 120 markets across the United States, Canada, Latin America and Australia.

Gari Communications’ “Hello” campaign, which debuted in 1977 for WISN-TV in Milwaukee, became a staple of local news broadcasts. Bloomberg described it as “one of the most popular local television campaigns ever made.” Today, the campaign has been revived by Gray Television’s KWQC in Davenport, Iowa.

In addition to her commercial work, Warner had a successful recording career in the 1970s and early 1980s.

She contributed to several albums and achieved a notable collaboration with Greek singer Demis Roussos on a cover of Air Supply’s “Lost in Love” for his 1980 album Man of the World. Her solo recording of the song “Pirate” gained further prominence when it was selected by Philips for inclusion on a demonstration disc accompanying early compact disc players like the Philips CD200.

In 1984, Warner lent her voice to another notable television campaign, the ABC network’s “We’re With You on ABC.”

However, it was her involvement with Gari Communications’ various image campaigns, including the enduring “Hello” themes, that solidified her legacy in television history. 

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