News Corp Australia creates national AIME Hoodie Day campaign for media nationwide

News Corp Australia has partnered with Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) Hoodie Day, being held on Friday, 7 July, with a creative editorial, advertising, PR and social media campaign across print, online and broadcast media, nationally.

The campaign, conceptualised, designed and created by News Corp Australia’s trade marketing and creative services team, asks Australians to buy a hoodie, to join the conversation and spread the AIME message of mentors for a fairer world. In doing so, the community will be supporting Indigenous kids to finish school at the same rate as their fellow Australians.

Hoodie Day is the main fundraising initiative of AIME’s dedicated Aboriginal youth mentoring program, launched in 2010 to spread the word that Indigenous equals success.

Says Jack Manning Bancroft, CEO and founder, AIME: “In the seven years since we launched National Hoodie Day, the AIME hoodie has evolved as a powerful symbol. It is a symbol of black and white coming together and a symbol of belief. “It is a symbol for change and for a generation of future leaders who strive to create a culture where for every step you take forward in life, you throw your hand back and bring someone with you.”

The theme of this year’s Hoodie Day campaign, supported by News Corp Australia, is “Making Mentoring famous”. It features a new generation of heroes – mentors and kids asking Australia to walk with them while the younger generation brings about change.

“Any person can mentor, so it’s about spreading the word and making it famous.”

Says Penny Fowler, News Corp Australia community ambassador and chair of the Reconciliation Working Group at News: “Our partnership with AIME and the important work they do in facilitating mentorships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, are stories we believe need to be told, to inform, advocate and inspire others to build a better Australia. We remain committed to our participation in the reconciliation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and all other Australians; to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and give back to the communities in which we live and work to secure a stronger future for us all.”

News Corp Australia’s support of National Hoodie Day includes featuring print and digital advertisements across metropolitan and regional newspapers and websites and a social media and PR campaign, encouraging media personalities to wear a hoodie on air and spread the AIME message.

Peter Gleeson, editor of the Sunday Mail in Queensland will promote Hoodie Day during his live cross segment on the Today Show on Wednesday, 5 July; Joe Hildebrand will wear a hoodie on Studio 10 on Friday; Fox Sports’ AFL 360 and NRL game hosts will promote Hoodie Day and wear hoodies while on air and Paul Murray and Chris Kenny will support the campaign during their programs on Sky News.

This year’s limited edition hoodie design was created by Year 9 student, Ella Gillespie, a mentee in the AIME program at SCU Lismore. Speaking about the artwork, titled, ‘Travelling Whales,’ Ella explains that “Living on the coast has encouraged me to paint stories of my surroundings. This artwork is my interpretation of the East coast humpback whale migration, the white line.”

The AIME Hoodie is available for $65 by visiting https://aimementoring.com/hoodie-day.