Initiative and The Hallway inducted to Hall of Good at UnLtd: Big Dream
The 4th annual UnLtd: Big Dream event saw over 700 people across the media, marketing and creative industry come together to celebrate and showcase the positive impact our industry has had on young people at risk.
The guests were transported to the mystery location by bus and then taken through a series of experiences ranging from puppet theatre to circle work by the campfire, to showcase the life-saving work that UnLtd’s charity partners do.
The inductees to the Hall of Good were also revealed at the event with Initiative winning the Good Company category, Philippa Noilea-Tani from Wavemaker awarded as the Social Change Maker and Boys Do Cry by The Hallway & Initiative chosen as the Campaign for Good.
Nina Nyman, CMO at UnLtd commended on Initiative’s long-term commitment to giving back: “For several years, Initiative has been delivering impactful and positive change. It’s a commitment they invest heavily into and it’s delivering results, not just to the not-for-profits they support, but to our industry, and their staff. They were the first media agency in the world to establish a division dedicated to impact-led media planning. They are not just an advocate of good but a great example of how to integrate it into a business.”
Says Melissa Fein, CEO of Initiative: “It’s truly incredible to be recognized in the ‘Hall of Good’ across all three categories. Giving back is a core part of our business and something we are truly committed to at every level of our business. It’s an honour to be acknowledged for it, especially amongst so many other companies doing good.”
This year’s Big Dream was the biggest one yet and raised over $565,000 for the work that UnLtd do to support young people at risk. Guests also had a unique opportunity to make a very tangible dream come true for some of the young people UnLtd supports. Over $46,000 was raised from The Big Pledge to build a farm for BackTrack so that they can create a safe place for kids doing it tough and provide them with life and agricultural skills to help young people find employment and gain independence.
Says Chris Freel, CEO of UnLtd: “What a night! It’s been a tough year and an especially tough few weeks for our industry but it was heartwarming to once again be reminded of how generous and caring our industry is despite the challenges. Big Dream is a celebration of everyone in the industry, our collective impact and the power we have to create positive change when we work together. In FY22, our industry generated $58 million in social impact value and Big Dream is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate that phenomenal impact.
“The results from the night are fantastic too – the money raised will make a huge difference for UnLtd and being able to help BackTrack build a farm through The Big Pledge is a dream come true not just for us but for BackTrack, and the many kids who desperately need help.”
The event was kindly sponsored by Snapchat, Val Morgan, ACM, Domain, Smooth FM and Yahoo and supported by Pernod Ricard, Usual Suspects and Heaps Normal. This year, UnLtd also partnered with climate change pioneer C2Zero to stop 15 tonnes of carbon from hitting the atmosphere at this year’s Big Dream – enough to compensate every individual attendee’s daily footprint.
