Whitelion Youth has releases its first long-term platform Right the Story, in a campaign coordinated by social purpose organisation UnLtd with creative and strategy developed by Ogilvy
The platform aims to distinguish Whitelion within a cluttered and struggling category. The lack of public support stems from misconceptions that continue to plague the sector, namely disadvantaged youth, who are often seen as victims of their own volition. In reality, most at-risk youth are survivors of familial abuse and neglect.
The campaign is supported with media inventory from Wavemaker, research by Kantar and fundraising platform support from My Cause.
Ogilvy senior strategist, Magdalena Tomislav: “No matter the size of the challenge, no matter the precedence, Australians have always adamantly believed that everyone deserves a fair go. Unbeknownst to most, nobody personifies the fighter spirit more than disadvantaged youth.
"Tapping into this cultural affinity for the underdog was integral to breaking through the futile portrayal that currently dominates the category. And more importantly, reminding Australians that they have the power to shape the story of our youth.”
The launch coincides with the “double donations” initiative, No Home Address. Everyday Aussies were invited to join Whitelion in the fight to end homelessness simply by donating when prompted across participating brand homepages. Donations by the public were matched by corporate sponsors, allowing double the impact.
In the first week, the campaign raised more than $270,000. Whitelion will use the cash to launch initiatives such as The Breakthrough Mentoring Program, an 18-week scheme to link young individuals with mentors for vocational training, career development and employment opportunities.
Whitelion CEO Hang Vo: “Youth disadvantage stems from many avenues including homelessness, abuse survivors and those entangled in the judicial system. Mentoring programs such as ours are crucial to ending this vicious cycle and this financial support and brand awareness really makes a difference.
“It’s wonderful to see so many join us in the fight against homelessness and bring down barriers for youth at risk. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the industry’s generosity. Thank you to the industry for supporting the campaign.”
Media partners include: ARN, CarSales, Daily Mail, Domain, InMobi, JCDecaux, Junkee, LadBible, NOVA, Network 10, Nine, News Corp, Nova, oOh! Media, Pedestrian, QMS, REA, SCA, Seven West Media, Snapchat, TLA, The Brag, TimeOut, Twitch, Val Morgan Digital, Yahoo, 10 Digital, 7 Digital and 9 Digital.
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