GroupM Inducted To UnLtd: Hall Of Good, Ogilvy Wins Campaign For Good

UnLtd, our industry’s social purpose organisation, has announced GroupM as the 2019 inductee to the UnLtd: Hall of Good at the Big Dream event last night.

Last year, Network 10 were the first inductees for the special recognition award.

Rachel Troy, COO of UnLtd commented: “We’re lucky to work with over 150 amazing organisations across our industry using their skills and resources for good.

“Whilst we’d love to award every single one of them, there is one organisation whose commitment, effort and impact over several years needs to be recognised. GroupM has used their best strategic heads to work on our charities biggest challenges, provided creative resource to re-brand and accessed inventory across their networks.

“They organise trivia nights, basketball tournaments, gig nights and once a year, they close their entire network of agencies for a day to raise funds for UnLtd charities. They have a long-standing workplace giving program and have changed the lives of marginalised young people in a very concrete way – by giving them a job.

“And the continuous effort shows – so far, they have generated over $5 million worth of social impact to help young people at risk.”

Mark Lollback, CEO of GroupM Australia and New Zealand, said: “We are delighted to accept this special recognition award and feel honoured to be the second ever inductees to the Hall of Good. Giving back is an integral part of the GroupM ethos to Inspire Excellence in everything we do.

“With the help of UnLtd, we’ve been able to direct our efforts to areas where we can create the biggest impact using our passion, skills and resources. We’re proud that our business is powered by amazing individuals who drive these programs and are part of a network of passionate people who go above and beyond their day to day job to give back to those who need it the most.”

A special ‘UnLtd: Campaign for Good’ award was also awarded to Ogilvy for their work on creating the first-ever brand awareness campaign for Whitelion that was widely supported by the industry with over 30 media owners and agencies providing pro-bono support and inventory.

Chris Freel, CEO of UnLtd commented: “For 12 years, UnLtd has been bringing together the skills, talent and resources of our incredible industry, to help young people at risk. This year, we saw this uniting power really come to life through the amazing support we received across the industry for the Whitelion ‘Invest in Me’ campaign.

“None of that would have been possible if it wasn’t for the commitment, creativity and passion by the Ogilvy team to create a campaign that not only raises funds but changes perceptions of young people at risk. Big thank you to David Fox and the team at Ogilvy and for every organisation who supported the campaign.”

The awards were announced at the UnLtd: Big Dream event last night in front of a packed house of 500 industry guests. The event celebrated and showcased the positive social impact our industry has generated whilst raising over $420,000.

The evening saw guests transported into a mystery location and taking part in thought provoking live experiences, designed to bring to life the realities that many young people at risk face. The event also included a competitive live auction, an entertaining ‘twiggle” live challenge and musical performances by Ngaiire, MMAD, Electric Fields and a special Nova Red Room performance by The Potbelleez.

Luke Minto, Sydney commercial director and Market Lead at NOVA Entertainment commented: “Wow, just when you think the Big Dream launch event last year would be hard to reimagine, the team from UnLtd have taken it to the next level.

“The venue was simply stunning and the immersive experiences really reinforced UnLtd’s purpose. More importantly the real stories shared last night were brave and eye-opening and gave a real insight into the lives of young people at risk. A special shout to Venessa Hunt who spoke so well.

“It’s great to see first-hand the positive difference our industry can make when we all work together. Nova is proud to be a sponsor of Big Dream and we can’t wait to see what next year has in store!”

Big Dream kindly sponsored by:

Sponsors: Snap Inc., NOVA Entertainment, Australian Community Media, Boomtown, Quantcast

Supported by: Blow Bar Co, Maud, MKTG, Network 10, Story Mill Studios, The Nest Consultancy