When Simone Gupta stepped on stage at B&T’s Women in Media Awards to collect the Public Relations trophy, it was so much more than a personal milestone, it was recognition of her work in a campaign that had reshaped Australia’s conversation around young people and social media, and ultimately, helped change the law.
Gupta, co-founder of independent creative studio Supermassive, was one of the masterminds behind 36 Months, the social movement that successfully advocated for raising the minimum social media age from 13 to 16.
The campaign, co-founded by Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli and Rob Galluzzo was backed by a petition of more than 127,000 signatures.
Chatting with B&T straight after her win, Gupta recalled the moment that Galluzzo and Wippa came to her with their idea.
“There wasn’t much money to make it happen, but Nova were really great supporters. We used Wippa’s show as a platform, and then we just pitched like crazy, anyone that would get on board to support the campaign. We were out there talking to media up at 6am, hacking the news cycle, and also talking to a lot of politicians as well,” she explained.
The outcome was remarkable. 36 Months was shortlisted for the prestigious awards across the globe but more importantly, it became a catalyst for national legislative reform. The campaign highlighted the risks of early exposure to social media, from cyberbullying to mental health issues, and reframed them as a public health crisis, securing political and public backing for change.
The result was a ban on social media for all Australian’s aged 16 and under that is set to come into place from December 2025.
For Gupta, the result was proof of what PR at its best can do.
Her achievement is all the more striking given Supermassive is only in its second year. In that short time, the agency has doubled revenue while embedding gender pay parity and a culture of fairness and creativity. Gupta herself is candid about the importance of visibility and role models in inspiring her own path to leadership.
“I never really thought about starting my own business when I was younger,” she admits. “I think that that might have had something to do with gender. I didn’t see many women around me founding successful businesses… I do hope that the next generation has more entrepreneurial confidence than my generation did”.
