We love a good news story here at B&T. When so much of the industry is dominated by AI-powered doom and gloom, it’s important to take a step back to see, in glorious technicolour what makes advertising, marketing and media great—you.
Humans make the deals, the difference and days bearable. To that end, we were delighted to go behind-the-scenes with IPG Mediabrands’ inaugural ‘Impact Week’.
The initiative (no pun intended) brought together all the Mediabrands agencies for a week of community-based action. Over the course of the week, all employees had a day when they could step away from their desks to contribute their time and services for a good cause.
Jackie Beck, Orion Worldwide MD ANZ and lead on Impact Week said, “What an amazing inaugural Mediabrands Australia Impact Week. Our teams were energised, connected to community, and reminded of the simple ways we can help those in need. It brought us together and gave us a moment to focus on the important connections we share across our organisation.”
Jo McAlister, Initiative’s CEO added, “2025 continues to be a challenging time for so many. We are so privileged to have the jobs we have. This is why an initiative like Impact Week is important. We need to lean in further when times are tough and by doing this we make a true impact.”
In total, more than 370 staff from across Mediabrands’ offices contributed to its charity partners, with 111 signing up to donate blood to Lifeblood and 110 staff sorting 60,000 pieces of clothing across two days for Threads Together.
“Seeing so many of our MediaBrands colleagues literally rolling up their sleeves and donating blood and plasma was such a powerful way to start the day. We were all reminded that there are so many ways we can contribute to our community, but everyone makes a real impact,” said Anathea Ruys, CEO of UM.
Sophie Bingham, managing partner at UM added, “Volunteering with Thread Together was a powerful reminder of the impact we can have when we come together as a team. Helping deliver clothing to people in need not only supported an incredible cause but also left us feeling inspired, connected, and proud to be making a difference.”
Staff also packed more than 25,000 meals packed for Foodbank NSW and raised $5,000 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation with its ‘Street Sell’ of Starlight Merchandise and an IPG Mediabrands Bake Sale.
“Today’s fundraising for the Starlight Foundation was a real eye-opener. While not everyone was thrilled by our enthusiastic pitches when selling merch (a few polite ‘no thanks!’ here and there), it made me reflect on how much we take for granted. Seeing the big picture and knowing that the funds we raised would go towards helping families who endure unimaginable challenges really put things into perspective. Ultimately, it was an experience that brought us closer together as a team, and knowing that we were working towards something that truly matters made it all worth it,” said Harry Preston, managing director of MBCS.
Lucy Formosa, Magna’s managing director added, “Packing 1,421 kg of fresh produce and assembling over 9,800 meals in a single day was intense but deeply rewarding. Knowing we made such a powerful impact in just five hours left us feeling grateful and stimulate to support our community further.”
