Our Favourite Brand Responses to the Australian Bushfire Crisis

As our country is shaken by the ongoing devastation of the Australian bushfires and global climate crisis, both communities and brands have stepped up to do anything they can to help those affected.

From international celebrities to local small businesses, the response has been incredible. We’ve found ourselves continuously inspired by the creative ways that brands and public figures alike are using their reach and platform to help.

Here are some of the responses that have grabbed our attention lately. The best part is that you can still help to support many of these brands’ fundraising efforts, whether that be by participating in a flash sale, buying a cup of coffee, or even catching a movie.

And if you want to know how you can directly help those affected, we’ve included a list of charities at the bottom of this blog post.

 

Emote’s Clients Step Up

Some of our very own clients have heeded the call and are raising funds for those affected by the fires.

Daily Orders are donating 10% of all January revenue to the CFA.

Bakers Delight are donating $1 from every 6 pack of Hot Cross Buns sold to the Red Cross— plus matching every donation dollar for dollar. They’re also providing bread and snacks to volunteers and affected people and animals.

Pathtech are donating $5,000 to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and making an additional donation to the Wildlife Appeal.

Erstwilder have raised over $40,000 for WIRES Wildlife Rescue and will continue to donate $1 from each brooch sold in January to both Wildlife Victoria and the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

WorkforceXS have some of their own franchises located on the border of the fires, and have made donations and offered help with the clean-up in affected communities. They’re also offering employment opportunities to those who have lost their businesses as a result.

We at Emote were devastated to hear that one of our clients’ team members, Sarah from Honeybee Toys (as shown in the feature image for this blog post), lost the home she shared with her partner Fabian in the Mallacoota bushfires. Honeybee Toys have set up a GoFundMe to help them get back on their feet after losing all of their possessions. At the time of writing, they have raised over $16,000 of the $20,000 goal. If you are able to help Fabian and Sarah rebuild, you can donate here.

Facebook Does Their Part

We received an email from Facebook last week detailing the efforts they’ve made to assist Australia during this crisis. Here’s the rundown:

• Activating Safety Check on the 30th December to allow those in fire-affected areas to mark themselves safe for friends and family.
• Hosting fundraiser through Facebook, allowing people from more than 75 countries to support more than 250 non-profits since November.
• Developing four Disaster Maps for bushfires across the South Coast, East Gippsland, the Green Wattle Creek Fire, and the Cudlee Creek Fire. These maps use anonymised data of user movement and population density to help response organisations paint a more complete picture of where affected communities of people are, so they can send resources where they’re needed most. They’re currently being used by four relief and response organisations.
• To help support and amplify the community’s efforts, Facebook is matching up to AU$1 million in donations and donating AU$250,000 to the Australian Red Cross to support relief and recovery efforts.

The Power of the Individual

While charity efforts from brands have a profound impact, seeing one person making a large donation can inspire many.

Countless celebrities have donated and helped to create awareness of the bushfires on social media, including Aussies Chris and Liam Hemsworth, who each donated $1 million.

In the sports world, ATP has donated $750,000 to WWF’s Australian Wildlife and Recovery Fund thanks to donations from tennis players.

And of course, comedian and national treasure Celeste Barber has raised more than $50 million for the NSW Rural Fire Service.

One noteworthy individual outside of the public sphere is Kaylen Ward, a nude model who’s dubbed herself the “naked philanthropist” after raising more than $1 million for the World Wildlife Fund and NSW Rural Fire Service. How? By selling her nudes on Twitter. Kaylen has now set up a GoFundMe as a more family-friendly way for her fans to donate.

Aussie Brands Go All In

Over 45 brands pledged 100% of profits made on January 9th as part of an “All In” Red Cross fundraiser initiative, with buy-now-pay-later platform Afterpay donating an additional $1 from each global transaction.

Other brands have decided to get a little creative with their efforts. Sustainable toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap (our personal favourite!) already donates 50% of all profits to sanitation projects in developing nations. But, they also announced that they’re giving $20,000 to bushfire relief, as well as sending several thousand rolls of toilet paper to Foodbank Australia to help out victims.

Fashion retailer Mosaic Brands are donating $50,000, as well as $1 million of clothing to victims. Melbourne mattress manufacturer Chiropedic are also donating 100 mattresses to victims, as well as donating $100 from every mattress sold from their Cloud 9 Range during January.

Some brands are also selling special products to raise money. Frank Body will be donating 100% of January’s sales from their A-Beauty Scrub, allowing their customers to make their order count.

Finally, Telstra has wiped volunteer firefighters’ phone bills for the months of December and January. They’ve also pledged to match all donations from their employees who choose to give a portion of their salary to the Red Cross. They expect to raise $10 million.

Dine for a Cause

Melbourne foodies were able to dine and donate thanks to charitable initiatives from some of the city’s best restaurants, bars, and cafes. Restaurants Tulum, Lezzet, and Ides (to name just a few) all held special lunches or dinners with proceeds going to bushfire relief. Penta Cafe also donated an entire week’s worth of profits to the CFA and NSW RFS.

After a good cup of coffee? Everyday Coffee is selling a special Bushfire Relief Espresso Blend, with 100% of sales going to a number of charities.

A Charitable Night Out

You can now shop, eat, drink, and laugh for a good cause thanks to Stand Up for Bushfire Relief at the Palais, which will feature some of Australia’s best comedic talent (including Hannah Gadsby and Judith Lucy!).

Yogis will be flowing through their asanas for a cause thanks to Lululemon’s mass yoga and meditation fundraiser, with 100% of ticket sales going directly to charity.

Didn’t manage to snag a ticket to either of these unique events? Love movies? Love tacos even more? Fonda Mexican will donate 100% of all ticket sales from their Windsor Rooftop Cinema to Wires Wildlife Rescue and Wildlife Victoria for the entire month of January.

How You Can Help

Can’t scratch that shopping itch? Consider buying something from stores based in bushfire-affected areas, whose sales are struggling following the devastating fires. Take a look at Spend With Them to find a showcase of local businesses, from salons to breweries.

Going camping or for a Sunday drive? Got an esky? Forget the local supermarket. The Empty Esky campaign encourages Aussies to spend money in (safe to visit) affected communities, filling up their esky to take home.

Find A Bed Australia is helping people displaced by the bushfires find beds for a night, and connecting them with homes that have spare rooms. Reach out to them if you can accommodate anyone in need of a bed.

You don’t have to shop online, go out, or even spend money to help out volunteers, victims, and affected wildlife. There are plenty of charities and initiatives in need of donations, including financial donations, household items, clothing, food and water, blood, and volunteer time.

Here’s a list of charities who desperately need your help. We recommend visiting their websites first to see what they need most and avoid overwhelming them with unwanted donations:

• Red Cross
• Foodbank
• GIVIT
• Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities
• Country Fire Authority
• NSW Rural Fire Service
• The Koala Hospital
• World Wildlife Fund
• Wildlife Victoria
• Wires Wildlife Rescue
• Kangaroo Island Mayoral Relief and Recovery Bushfire Fund