IAA launches Red Cross fundraiser, encouraging global marcom industry to donate to bushfire relief
The International Advertising Association (IAA) has created a Red Cross donation page in response to Australia’s ongoing bushfire crisis, supported by an ad headlined ‘C’mon friends in the marcom industry, let’s unite for Australia’ and circulated to IAA chapters globally.
“These folk support our products and services and they need all our support in their times of loss and despair,” reads the IAA’s Red Cross donation page.
The ad has been sent to IAA chapters across the world, encouraging donations to a Red Cross donation page
Accompanying the ad when it has been distributed to various IAA chapters is a message from the IAA’s global managing director in New York, Dagmara Szulce, which reads: “As a global brand, we are connected to our employees and members across 56 countries. We know each other by names, care about each other and act as a support network when needed.
In the aftermath of the most recent bushfires in Australia, we’re proposing to partner with all of you to launch a global campaign to help raise money to help Australia re-build homes and lives affected by the bushfires.”
The Australian chapter’s chair emeritus, Heather Leembruggen, added that the ad targets the whole marcom industry, worldwide.
“IAA Australia collaborated with IAA Global to develop this advertisement for the entire global marcom industry, companies and individuals, to do their bit to help and support everyday Australians (our customers) in their times of need,” Leembruggem said.
“Most importantly it is to show them that we really care. So let’s walk the talk and donate to this industry appeal to show that you as well as the Australian industry cares about our fellow Aussies.”
Locally, the industry has galvanised to launch a string of fundraising initiatives in response to the bushfire emergency.
Young WPP staff teamed up to create a brand of P2 masks called Smoggys to raise money for the RFS. TBWA and incoming IPG Mediabrands CEO Mark Coad spearheaded a campaign to drive funds to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, which achieved its target of $5m.
Boutique agency Upstride launched ‘Creatives for Bushfires’, which is currently taking registrations for people and agencies to volunteer their services to small businesses in affected areas. So far, 400 expressions of interest have been lodged to support recovering businesses.
And last week, the ‘Wage for a Wage‘, Bushfire PR Alliance and UnLtd’s bushfire auctions were revealed. ‘Wage for a Wage’ asks industry members to donate one day’s wage to a volunteer firefighter, while the Alliance has seen 21 PR agencies pledge to ‘adopt’ an affected community and provide it with much-needed communications support.
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