Youngbloods captivate the nation with pitch to get parents off Facebook on ABC’s Gruen

A state feud has been sparked as the Youngbloods’ WA and QLD committees battled it out on ABC Gruen’s ‘The Pitch’ segment where they were asked to convince parents to get off Facebook.

The talent of adland’s next generation was truly front and centre, leaving the judging panel torn over which submission had the greater impact and creative execution.

In the history of Youngblood’s involvement with the show whereby two selected state committees go head-to-head every year, a clear winner has yet to be decided.

Youngbloods WA co-chair, Hayden Garrard, spoke about the drive to break this cycle in 2024: “It’s become somewhat of a tradition for Youngbloods to tie in the Pitch, landing both committees a half of the infamous split trophy. When we got the brief this year, we were absolutely determined to give it our best and break this tradition.”

Fuelled by some friendly competition and a desire to be the first Youngbloods committee to take home the win, this would be a year to remember. But, to make judging even more difficult, both the QLD and WA committees arrived at a similar creative insight, showing parents how their relationship with Facebook could be having negative impacts on their children.

The groups earned high praise by panellist Todd Sampson, stating that although the Youngbloods “are new into the industry” their submissions “are two of the best ads we [Gruen] have seen all season. I am both excited and scared of how good they really are.”

By this point, you must be anxious to know who ultimately pulled out the win, but before we get to that, we’ll let you make up your own mind.

Youngbloods QLD:

Youngbloods QLD co-chair Justin Carter spoke about the journey his team experienced in arriving at this message: “We are extremely lucky to have some amazingly talented members on our team, with an array of strengths from strategy to creative execution. When we first received the brief, we went through a few fun and outlandish ideas before ultimately reaching the conclusion that we needed to demonstrate how Facebook threatens parents’ most valuable treasures, their kids. This entire experience has truly showcased the talent and dedication possessed by the whole team.”

Youngbloods WA:

Youngbloods WA co-chair Simon Mullins is thrilled with how their submission has been received by both the panel and the broader audience: “The Gruen Pitch is always an exciting opportunity for the team, especially with a brief like this. We loved putting the ad together and got to work with some incredibly talented folk. The response has been amazing to see, not only from the judges, but also the huge engagement we’ve already seen online. Most of us got into advertising to create work that makes an impact, and we’re grateful for this opportunity to do so.”

So, for those who didn’t see it, the big question on everyone’s mind is… who won?

With two incredibly strong submissions such as these, it seems that the feud will continue yet. Once again, the panel ultimately landed at a 2-2 tie, keeping the tradition strong for at least another year.

If you haven’t had a chance to see what all the fuss is about, make sure to catch Gruen (S16, EP9) on ABC iView.

To find out more about the Youngbloods mission, head over to their website, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

Who was involved:

Youngbloods QLD
Team Leaders: Bryce Kenyon, Justin Carter
Copywriter: Johnson Ta
Strategist: Josef Wimberger
Production Company: Stranger Films
Producer: Genevieve Larin
Director: Tony Walsh
Cinematographer: Brian Loewe
Production Designer: Keely Hall
Gaffer: John Moffat
1AC: Owen Smith
Production Designer: Keely Hall
Editor: Matthew Sawyer
Sound Recordist: Scott Young
School Boy: Darby Keats
Mum: Melanie Pryde
Teacher: Natalie Archer
Special thanks: Brisbane Boys College
Special thanks to the entire committee: Justin Carter, Bryce Kenyon, Josef Wimberger, Johnson Ta, Franc Hefner, Isobel MacRae, Jill Chew, Amelia Lee, Heinrich Thom, Laetitia Chameron, Eunice Tsai.

Youngbloods WA
Creative Lead, Copywriter: Simon Mullins
Strategy: Jeremy Gryguc
Designer: Steph Travaglini
Production Company: Sandbox
Director: Jack Connell
Producer: Jack Gilmour
DOP: Balazs Kajcsa
1st AC: Gareth Weston
2nd AC: Jeremy Turnbull
Audio Recordist: Joanne Cowardine
Gaffer: Michael Sgro
Best Boy: Darcy Wilson
Art/Wardrobe: Jessica Wilson, Blanche Leigh
Hair & Makeup: Abbey Woodman
Production Assistant: Dibyanshoo Das Sharma
Offline Edit: Val Burnazov
Colourist: Denzil Heeger
Motion Graphics: Matthew Kerley
Sound Studio: Soundbyte
Sound Design: Lachlan Cooper, Brad Habib
Studio: Raz Studios
Talent: Jeremy Gryguc, Rebekah Vinicombe, Evie, Alex
Special thanks to the entire committee: Simon Mullins, Hayden Garrard, Jack Gilmour, Rebecca Di Pardo, Rebekah Vinicombe, Bradley Scott, Caitlyn Donnelly, Jeremy Gryguc, Lara Hudson, Leo Mazzella, Steph Travaglini