A year of impact: A look back at the creative campaigns supported by UnLtd and the industry

Across 2025, Australia’s creative, media and marketing community has once again demonstrated the power of its collective influence, using creativity, media and storytelling to help change outcomes for young people doing it tough.

At the centre of this work is UnLtd, the industry’s social impact organisation, which unlocks the power of marketing to support grassroots charities working with children and young people at risk. By connecting charities with leading media, marketing, technology and creative companies, UnLtd helps ideas travel further, reach the right audiences and drive real-world impact.

Jade Harley, Director of Impact at UnLtd told CB: “What’s moved us the most is the depth of commitment from this industry. Agencies haven’t just turned up, they’ve gone all in. They’ve invested time to truly understand the complex issues facing children and young people, and then pushed their creativity to new heights. Even on pro bono work, our charities feel like priority clients because every detail is handled with care. In fact, the cause fuels the brilliance. This is our industry at its absolute best, using creativity and influence to create real impact.”

From national brand campaigns to behaviour-change initiatives and fundraising events and platforms, here’s a look back at some of the key UnLtd-supported campaigns that ran on Campaign Brief throughout 2025, and the charities and industry partners behind them.

Please click on each sub-heading to view the full list of campaign credits

ACMF ‘Transforming Young Lives Through Music’ via This Is Flow – (May 2025)

In a major milestone for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF), UnLtd supported the launch of ACMF’s first-ever national brand campaign, created in partnership with This Is Flow.

The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the role music education plays in supporting children in under-resourced communities, while also opening entries for a national songwriting competition. By elevating ACMF’s profile on a national scale, the work helped spotlight how creativity and access to music can positively shape young lives.

This milestone campaign spanned TV, print, digital, social media, out-of-home, radio, cinema, mobile, and was made possible through the generosity of leading media partners including Mamamia, Val Morgan, JCDecaux, News, QMS, ARE Media, oOh!, Torch, Alliance, Bishopp, ATN, NOVA, Cartology, Seven, Ten and Nine.

Bravehearts ‘Grooming Hides Behind Harmless’ via Engine Group, Wavemaker, Taxi and Change PR – (June 2025)

Bravehearts, supported by UnLtd, teamed up with Engine Group and Wavemaker to confront the uncomfortable realities of child grooming through a powerful behaviour-change campaign.

The work exposed how grooming often hides in plain sight, challenging common misconceptions and encouraging adults to recognise early warning signs. With its clear, confronting message, the campaign demonstrated how strategic creativity can drive education, awareness and prevention, particularly around issues that are often difficult to talk about.

The emotional campaign was created and produced pro bono by Engine Group and its industry partners including Leah Purcell as the director and Taxi Film Production as the production company.

Additionally, over 100 other creative contributors collectively gave in excess of $1M of their craft to assist with the development of the campaign, which is a visual and haunting representation of how grooming often hides behind harmless behaviours.

The campaign was named the Campaign for Good at the 2025 UnLtd: Big Dream event.

Yfoundations ‘Young and Alone’ via Ogilvy and PHD – (June 2025)

Ogilvy, PHD and UnLtd partnered with Yfoundations, the NSW peak body for child and youth homelessness, alongside the Property Industry Foundation to launch a confronting and highly distinctive campaign designed to shine a light on the reality of youth homelessness.

Rolling out across all major media channels, the campaign launched with a deliberate twist. At first glance, the creative appeared to promote a new reality television show titled Young and Alone. But the concept quickly revealed itself as something far more serious.

By mimicking the familiar language and structure of reality TV, the campaign exposed the daily challenges faced by young people experiencing homelessness, from finding a safe place to sleep, to staying engaged in education without a stable home, and simply surviving day to day. The work brought visibility to a crisis that often remains hidden, uncomfortable and easy to overlook.

The campaign ran across TV, BVOD, out-of-home, social, radio, PR and influencer channels, supported by an unprecedented level of media owner collaboration. Partners included Alliance Outdoor Media Group, Amazon Prime, ARN, Australian Traffic Network, Broadsheet, Cartology, Foxtel Media, JCDecaux, JOLT, Nine, OA Collective, oOh!Media, Paramount, QMS, Southern Cross Austereo, Seven, Snapchat, TikTok, TimeOut, Torch Media, Uber, Urban List, Val Morgan, Vinyl Media and Yahoo.

Mirabel Foundation ‘Childhood Is Precious’ via Cocogun, Photoplay, Heckler and Ryvalmedia – (July 2025)

The Mirabel Foundation launched its first-ever brand campaign ‘Childhood Is Precious’ via Cocogun, with support from Photoplay, Heckler and Ryvalmedia.

The campaign highlighted the impact of parental substance abuse on children and reinforced Mirabel’s mission to help young people reclaim safety, stability and joy in their childhoods. Through emotive storytelling and strong craft, the work helped raise awareness of a largely unseen issue, and the support services working to address it.

Set to ‘Angie (I’ve been lost)’ feat. Angie McMahon by Fred again.., the campaign centered around a 60-second film capturing the curiosity, wonder, and visceral emotions of being a child. Directed by Photoplay’s Sarah Adamson, it followed a group of kids on an epic adventure, enjoying that glorious feeling of simply being a kid. The TVC was supported by out of home posters, photographed by Sarah Adamson, social content, and radio. The radio ads included the voices of Shane Jacobson and Ally Langdon, both long-time supporters of Mirabel. Music supervision was handled by Level Two, sound engineering by Smith & Western, post-production by Heckler, and Nine Audio produced the radio.

Kids Under Cover ‘Donate Your Car’ via Brand Play and Half Dome – (October 2025)

Kids Under Cover, supported by UnLtd, partnered with Brand Play and Half Dome to launch Donate Your Car, a campaign designed to provide practical support for young people at risk of homelessness.

The initiative reframed car donation as a direct pathway to building secure housing solutions, translating generosity into tangible outcomes. The simplicity of the idea, paired with clear messaging, made it easy for audiences to understand how they could help – and why it matters.

The film was supported by digital, social, radio, and out-of-home executions. Half Dome led the media planning and secured pro-bono media from multiple partners. Media owners that lent their support included Carsales, Foxtel, JCDecaux, Mamamia, NewsCorp, Nine, oOh!media, Paramount, Pedestrian, REA Group, SBS, Seven and The Guardian.

Radio Lollipop ‘Go Red’ via Match & Wood and Nibble Edge – (October 2025)

In one of the year’s most uplifting initiatives Radio Lollipop encouraged Australians to ‘Go Red’ in a national fundraising campaign developed with Match & Wood, Nibble Edge and UnLtd.

The campaign aimed to bring joy, laughter and human connection to children in hospital, reminding audiences of the emotional power of play, conversation and kindness during long hospital stays. Bright, optimistic and community-driven, the work showcased how creativity can deliver both awareness and warmth.

Over 40 years in Australia, Radio Lollipop has entertained an estimated 1 million children, played hundreds of thousands of songs, and hosted countless games of UNO, creating lasting moments of joy for children and their families.

Each of these campaigns reflects a broader truth; when the industry comes together, its impact extends far beyond awards and impressions. Through UnLtd, agencies, media companies and production partners are using their skills, platforms and influence to help charities reach more people, raise vital funds and change lives.

From tackling youth homelessness and child safety to supporting creativity, education and wellbeing, 2025’s body of work demonstrates what’s possible when purpose and creativity align.

To support UnLtd and the charities it works with, you can donate or learn more here.

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