Objective

Each year, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation hosts its Chairman’s Club—a high-impact awareness initiative that brings together CEOs from across Australia to experience the Reef firsthand, foster environmental leadership, and inspire long-term support.

In a special year, global advertising agency Leo Burnett donated their services to create a powerful national campaign aimed at increasing public awareness of the Reef’s biodiversity and the urgent need for its protection. The campaign featured striking visuals of coral, fish, and marine life—bringing the fragile beauty of the reef to life.

With the Chairman’s Club event coinciding with the launch of this campaign, the Foundation saw an opportunity to create something tangible that would extend the campaign’s reach, captivate attendees, and drive meaningful support.

Solution

To reinforce the campaign message and provide a memorable, wearable call to action, we developed a striking collection of full-colour t-shirts and tote bags featuring the campaign’s bold reef imagery.

• T-shirts were created in two key sets: one for the scientists working on the islands, and another for the CEOs and high-profile attendees willing to champion the cause.
• Tote bags were added at short notice to allow broader public engagement and were sold in retail outlets to further extend visibility.

Each item served as a walking billboard—designed not just to impress, but to provoke curiosity and conversation around the Reef’s future. The visual continuity between campaign, clothing, and cause helped create a strong, cohesive impression throughout the event.

Results

The campaign was widely regarded as a success:

• The coordinated use of t-shirts and tote bags created strong visual impact at the Chairman’s Club and in public outlets
• Attendees embraced the merchandise, helping amplify the campaign’s reach and message
• Donations increased significantly that year, with many CEOs returning in subsequent years and continuing their support for the Reef

This project proved that when powerful storytelling meets tangible design, awareness can be transformed into lasting advocacy.