After a year of highs and lows, social purpose organisation, UnLtd, united the industry for an evening of ‘light and dark’ at the third annual Big Dream gala on Friday.
Over 650 people from across the media, marketing and creative industries gathered for a night of entertainment, fundraising and a chance to reflect on an impactful year.
UnLtd also celebrated a major milestone, announcing the industry raised over $120 million in social impact value since its inception 15 years ago, with $60 million of that having been generated in the last two years.
Yahoo was inducted into the Hall of Good for their long-standing contributions to UnLtd and Musicians Making A Difference, with the charity sitting at the heart of the business’ strategy.
In addition, Accenture Interactive was awarded a Good Campaign award for their role in launching MOOD Tea, while Kerry McCabe was honoured for his transformative work in uniting the industry for good.
“What an absolute honour to receive this recognition,” said Paul Sigaloff, vice president at Yahoo ANZ INSEA.
“Advertising for good is not some airy philosophy, it’s integrated into every facet of our business and it’s how we show up at Yahoo every day. And we’re not alone, with Accenture Interactive setting another standard and the ever-inspiring Kerry McCabe’s relentless dedication.
“What an incredible evening, I left with a sense of pride and fire in my belly to do even more next year!”
The night saw a record $554,000 raised for UnLtd’s charities, which was up a whopping 36 per cent from the previous event. The raffle, live auction, and pledge drew plenty of action as the industry generously showed their support.
Attendees also had the chance to see the impact of their ongoing support first hand. Maddie Lee, a Batyr spokesperson, opened the event sharing her personal mental health journey and Lana Masterson from Down The Track described emotional stories of lives transformed through their programs.
Performances by Musician Making a Difference ambassador Libby Ingels plus Horrorshow and Seann Miley Moore also captivated the crowd.
“My nana always said to me that when times get tough you see the truth in people,” said Chris Freel, CEO at UnLtd.
“Well, times have been tough for most of us recently, and what we have witnessed is that our industry has reacted to adversity by helping those in need more than ever. Thank you all!”
The FY21 Impact Report further highlighted the industry’s many generous acts, including:
- $28.7m in social impact value
- Support to 25 charities across Australia
- 9,350 programs to help young people at risk
- 9,720 hours of skilled volunteering
- 750 hours of unskilled volunteering
UnLtd thanked presenting partners Snap & Val Morgan, and sponsors ACM, Network Ten, Nova Entertainment, The Guardian, Think Premium Digital and Yahoo, as well as those who donated items for the live auction and raffle.
