The Y unites national brand under new Think HQ campaign

The Y Australia is bringing its 11 member associations together under a single national brand platform, launching its biggest campaign in around a decade with creative agency Think HQ.

The new platform, It Starts Here, launched on 11 October and aims to shift perceptions of the organisation beyond its traditional association with sport and recreation, highlighting its broader role in community connection, education and support services.

The campaign draws on The Y's 175-year history in Australia and uses real people and community experiences to demonstrate the breadth of its work.

Think HQ, which won the creative account in July, was tasked with developing a national identity that could work across the organisation while giving individual member associations flexibility to adapt the campaign locally.

“The Y has been part of Australian communities for 175 years, but there’s so much more to the organisation than many people realise,” Sam McCarron, creative director at Think HQ, said.

“‘It Starts Here’ gave us an opportunity to bring that breadth to life through a single national idea that feels human, relevant and grounded in the experiences of real communities.”

Vanessa Heron, head of brand and marketing at The Y Australia, said creating a platform that could unite the organisation without losing its local relevance was central to the brief.

“With 11 member associations and communities right across Australia, creating a platform that could bring everyone together while still reflecting the breadth and diversity of The Y was incredibly important to us,” Heron said.

The campaign will run nationally across BVOD, SVOD, social, online and out-of-home, including transport placements, billboards and shopping centre displays until June 2027. The media plan includes 10 Play, 9Now, 7plus, SBS On Demand, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Binge and Kayo, alongside Meta and ChatGPT.

The Y operates in more than 650 Australian communities, employing more than 12,000 people and recording more than 23 million visits to its programs and facilities over the past year.