The Bushfire Foundation hijacks Black Friday to help shoppers save big this season in new campaign via cummins&partners

The biggest retail event of the year coincides with the most devastating projected bushfire season since Black Summer. At a time when Australians are feverishly racing to find the biggest savings on everything from fashion to furniture and toys to tech, The Bushfire Foundation is urging shoppers to reconsider what they could be saving instead. The campaign, developed by cummins&partners, hijacks the look and feel of typical Black Friday retail ads and content with the striking visual of what appear to be bushfire-affected items.

The campaign launched on Black Friday via TikTok, tapping into the popular unboxing trend to reveal a serious message. Influencers across a range of niches revealed their items, only to explain that “This is no ordinary unboxing, because this is no ordinary Black Friday”, before urging viewers to support The Bushfire Foundation. Each post was promoted as part of the TikTok For Good Launchpad.

The content was supported by a suite of donated digital displays and digital OOH ‘retail ads’ across the sales weekend’s top trending categories – including a burnt laptop (tech), couch (furniture), and teddy bear (toys).

Says Nathan Rogers, CEO, The Bushfire Foundation: “We’re heading into yet another devastating bushfire season. Lives and livelihoods have already been lost. This is a clever idea that taps into a moment when people are thinking about big savings for themselves and asks them to think about saving others. It will help raise much-needed funds so our volunteer services can continue to prepare vulnerable communities for bushfires, as well as assist the recovery of communities affected by bushfire.”

Says Heath Collins, national creative director, cummins&partners: “When we first reached out to Nathan, he took a while to respond – turned out he’d been working night shift for ambulance services. These are the kinds of big hearts behind The Bushfire Foundation. We’re honoured to do this work to raise awareness and funds for their efforts – if it prevents one home from being lost, or helps lessen the burden of one family recovering from a lost home, it’s all worthwhile.”

The Bushfire Foundation is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation that works with vulnerable families, individuals and communities within Australia to help them prepare for and recover from bushfires. You can support their work by donating here

Agency: cummins&partners
Chief Creative Officer: Sean Cummins
Global CEO: Michael McConville
Head of Strategy: Phil Pickering
National Creative Director: Heath Collins
Associate Creative Director: Chris Ching
Art Director: Isabella Novak
Copywriter: Catherine Risbey
Art Director: Alice Tran
Senior Account Manager: Abby Johnson
Integrated Producer: Amy Simmons
Head of Media: Luke Maher
Media Manager: Ashley Szmerling
Design Director: Rowan Hammerton
Studio Manager: Emma Shaw
Senior Retoucher: Ed Croll

Client: The Bushfire Foundation
CEO & Chief Commander: Nathan Rogers

TikTok
Creative Agency Partner ANZ: Smaran Jworchan
TikTok For Good Launchpad – Lead: Daniel Klug