What they needed

Sleep at the G, a flagship charity event, has been flying under the radar for 12 years. With over 122,000 Australians facing homelessness nightly—more than the MCG’s capacity—and a quarter of them aged 12-25, the need for change is urgent. In Victoria alone, over 7,600 young people are homeless each night.
They need more than shelter; they need stability, life skills, and support. After recent challenges, including the setbacks from COVID, our goal was to make the event its biggest.

What we did

Campaign strategy, identity, design, outdoor media, campaign toolkit, social media, event activations

How we did it

The campaign’s concept, “The Power to End Youth Homelessness,” embraced a tone of “adversity to optimism.” By leveraging audience-centric headlines, we tailored messages that spoke directly to different groups, allowing the campaign to resonate on a more personal level. Instead of relying solely on shock tactics and stark facts, we infused the campaign with a message of hope and empowerment, using phrases like “The Power of…,” “We have the power to…,” and “The power of community.”

We uncovered stereotypes and perceptions, then set out to challenge them through compelling imagery, storytelling, and unexpected truths—such as using portraits of everyday people (we had to use stock imagery to protect the identities of real homeless people), alongside lived experiences and facts that went beyond mere statistics. We seamlessly integrated existing assets, including the event’s identity and Melbourne City Mission’s (MCM) brand, while enhancing and broadening the visual language to give the event its unique and distinctive identity.

This final result not only boosted engagement and attracted a diverse audience in 2024 but also elevated the event’s profile, securing greater backing from the MCG, the community, celebrities and media.