2019 Youngbloods Australia emerges as state committees unite; Saatchi & Saatchi Melbourne’s Matt Gardener named national co-chair

For the first time ever, Youngbloods committees of NSW, VIC, WA and QLD have unified under a national platform and have relaunched with a new identity.

Representing the “young blood” in the industry, Youngbloods is a collective of Australian advertising professionals run for young people, by young people. The national not for profit organisation is powered by The Communications Council.

Late last year, the state chairs met in Sydney with the objective to align the four state-based committees to provide a stronger and more consistent offering across Australia. The team spent time re-assessing the current needs of young people in our industry and developing a plan defining how Youngbloods could become a one-stop-shop serving the needs of all industry newcomers seeking help, guidance and connection.

The national alignment meeting; 2017/18 committee chairs meeting in Sydney

Youngbloods also identified the need to advocate for young people in the industry and aligned on the necessity to become a powerful voice for them; championing related causes such as equal opportunity and mental health.

Underpinned by a new organisational structure and strategy, Youngbloods now have access to shared resources and assets (such as committee member skills, ideas, events and cost structures) between states; allowing them to provide greater support to the young people in their markets, over and above the existing local offerings. The online offering also includes a new national Instagram and LinkedIn presence, with state-based Facebook pages remaining, so everyone can stay up to date with the latest news and events.

Most notably, the launch of the new online offering features a new website, hosting the ADventure guide – an all-encompassing guide to the 101s of advertising and news of upcoming events across the states (each state will continue to offer localised events). It will also include opinion pieces, providing a much-needed platform for young people to be heard.

“Through aligning Youngbloods nationally, we will be able to arm more young people with the tools and resources to go further in their careers. A national view of things allows us to use resources more efficiently, align the states strategically, and for the first time, provide a strong online offering. It’s been a really exciting journey so far, and it’s only just the beginning” said National Co-Chairs Matt Gardener (Saatchi & Saatchi Melbourne) and Sarah Kappeler (The Brand Agency Perth).

Launched this week, the Youngbloods revamp signifies a new era for the organisation, now with a more determined focus on empowering the next generation of young people to kick arse in advertising. Youngbloods is expected to become bigger, better and more beneficial for industry newcomers.

See the new website HERE and follow Youngbloods national on Instagram and LinkedIn

Youngbloods 2019 National Committee

National Co-Chair : Sarah Kappeler – The Brand Agency, Perth
National Co-Chair : Matt Gardener – Saatchi & Saatchi, Melbourne

NSW Co-Chair : Isabella Rigg – Traffik, Sydney
NSW Co-Chair : Krystina Batt – M&C Saatchi, Sydney
VIC Chair : Spencer Ratliff – The Monkeys, Melbourne
QLD Chair : Linh Diep – Publicis Worldwide, Brisbane
WA Chair : Anneliese Sullivan – The Brand Agency, Perth