Bonds is positioning its new partnership with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation as more than just a sponsorship announcement, telling B&T it reflects a broader shift in how the brand is approaching storytelling, reputation, and its place in culture.
The partnership will see the iconic Australian underwear brand support the ILF across 2026 – 2027, including a co-developed storytelling initiative with a remote Indigenous community, alongside ongoing efforts to amplify First Nations voices, languages, and stories through its platform.
But for Kedda Ghazarian, head of marketing at Bonds and a 2026 B&T CMO Power Lister, the significance of the collaboration sits less in the activation itself and more in what it represents for the business model behind it.
“It absolutely still counts as a partnership, but the ambition is broader. In today’s entertainment economy, the line between brand partnership and owned storytelling is blurring – the value now comes from building worlds, not just sponsorships,” she told B&T.
“Our partnership with ILF enables us to support community outcomes and champion the voices that have shaped Australia’s story for over 65,000 years.”
Ghazarian said the industry is moving away from traditional sponsorship behaviour and towards deeper participation inside culture.
“It feels like the old sponsorship model is giving way to something much more participatory. Brands are no longer just attaching themselves to causes – they’re being asked to co-create experiences, contribute meaningfully, and earn their place inside culture.”
For Bonds, that shift has required internal change as much as external ambition, with Ghazarian pointing to mindset, resourcing and long-term commitment as key adjustments inside the business.
“The real change was recognising that community-led storytelling isn’t a campaign tactic – it’s a way of working. That meant adjusting internal mindset, resourcing partnerships differently, and making sure the approach was aligned to the business’s reconciliation journey and long-term impact goals.”
She added that the approach is not exclusive, but it does require patience and commitment from marketers.
“The approach is replicable, but only if brands are willing to do the hard work upfront and stay the course. The real challenge isn’t the execution itself, it’s the patience to invest in the relationships, strategy, and cultural understanding that make it meaningful. We’re lucky to have incredible partners in ILF who were willing to go on the journey with us.”
The partnership sits within ILF’s long-running mission to support Indigenous communities through literacy programs, book publishing in First Nations languages, and community-led storytelling across remote Australia. ILF director of programs and publishing Zoe Cassim said the collaboration helps extend that impact nationally.
“Support from organisations such as Bonds, provides platforms and opportunities for the entire country to see and connect with the special and longstanding work of Australia’s First Storytellers,” she said.
“The ILF showcases the intergenerational strengths of the Communities we are privileged to work with, and this partnership highlights that value. The value of every child having the right to see themselves and their languages in the books they read.”
Indigenous Literacy Foundation, director of programs and publishing, Zoe Cassim, said support from brands like Bonds “provides platforms and opportunities for the entire country to see and connect with the special and longstanding work of Australia’s First Storytellers.”
“The ILF showcases the intergenerational strengths of the Communities we are privileged to work with, and this partnership highlights that value,” she said. “The value of every child having the right to see themselves and their languages in the books they read.”
The announcement also forms part of Bonds’ broader reconciliation journey through Hanes Australasia, with the brand continuing to expand its commitments across cultural learning, employment pathways, procurement, and First Nations partnerships.
