Independent advertising and branding agency March One has announced it has been appointed by the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) to refresh the ‘Jeans for Genes’ fundraising campaign.

This year will celebrate 25 years of Jeans for Genes, the community fundraising event that unites Australians in denim in support of research aimed at finding cures for genetic diseases.

The CMRI’s head of marketing and communications, Lorel Colgin, said this year’s Jeans for Genes campaign aims to remind everyone what it’s all about – the one in 20 kids facing genetic diseases and other serious conditions – and that it’s relevant to all Australians.

“While we continue to enjoy a high level of brand awareness for the campaign, in recent years many Australians wear denim to work on a daily basis, so Jeans for Genes Day isn’t such a novelty,” she said.

“Unfortunately, many have also forgotten the day is about more than denim – it’s about a very important cause.”

March One, through its human-centred process, set out to help Jeans for Genes reconnect with its cause, and they found that Australians largely see children as strong, resilient and speaking with a relevant voice.

“Once children were seen and not heard,” Ben Coverdale, creative director and owner of March One, said.

“Fast forward to today and we have kids giving TED talks, becoming entrepreneurs and building communities online. Portraying kids as vulnerable or helpless no longer seems appropriate.”

March One is devising a creative strategy for this year’s Jeans for Genes campaign that will promote this attitude and represent kids as capable little humans who need everyday Aussies to fight alongside them as they take on genetic diseases.

“The insight came from talking to everyday people about how they view children, as well as reflecting on how I look at my own children,” Coverdale said.