In May, 150 senior leaders from the media, marketing, tech and creative industries will spend a night in prison as part of UnLtd’s Adland Bail Out events in Sydney and Melbourne.

In order to be released, each inmate is required to raise $1000 for young people at risk as their bail. Bail Out Sydney will occur on Friday 10 May at Yasmar Juvenile Detention Centre, followed by the Melbourne event on 24 May at Old Melbourne Gaol Watch House.

The event is organised by UnLtd and Whitelion and provides the inmates the unique and eye-opening opportunity to step outside the ‘media bubble’ and into the shoes of a young person that has been disconnected from the community due to abuse, neglect, drug addiction or poverty.

“It takes most of us to a place we have never been,” says UnLtd CEO Chris Freel, “where we get to understand and experience what life is like for kids who have been locked up.

“Often young people find themselves incarcerated because they have had nobody to guide them, nobody to believe in them and offer them hope and a positive life. So we lock them up and basically set many on a path they will never recover from.

“Whitelion and UnLtd firmly believe in rehabilitation. If we can’t rehabilitate children, then who can we help?”

Last year, 80 leaders were locked up and raised over $160,000 for Whitelion, funding a critical outreach program assisting at-risk young people with locating stable housing, finding employment, engaging with education and accessing mental health report. This year, the target is to raise over $200,000 across Sydney and Melbourne.

An awareness campaign for Whitelion created by Ogilvy will be launched at the event.

Repeat offender Vanessa Hunt, digital strategy and investment officer at GroupM is returning this year. “In 2018 I joined the UnLtd team and other industry leaders to spend my first night in jail,” she says.

“It was one of the most impactful events I have ever been a part of. It highlighted to me one of the biggest challenges our society faces today… With a young industry like ours it’s evident that great kids given the opportunity can do great things and literally change the world,

“By raising money and awareness through Bail Out, we’re helping Whitelion bring better opportunities to young people who need them.”

To help your favourite industry personality reach their bail and be released from prison, please head to bailout.org.au

Inmates announced so far include:

Media Owner Gang:

• Andrew Brain, Pacific Magazines
• Dan Stinton, The Guardian
• Guy Burbidge, Val Morgan
• James Bayes, Seven West Media
• James McManus, Pedestrian
• Max Eburne, JCDecaux
• Natalie Stanley, VOM Network
• Neil Robinson, News Corp
• Nicole Bence, Pacific Magazines
• Oliver Newton, JCDecaux
• Paul Blackburn, News Corp
• Paul Butler, Val Morgan Outdoor
• Paul Brooks, Nine
• Rachel Tikey, Pedestrian
• Scott Corcoran, Nine Australian Community Media
• Sev Celik, Tonic Health Media
• Tony Kendall

Creative Gang:

• Akim Azzi, Suncorp
• Alex Lowes, Tourism Australia
• Alex Hayes, Clear Hayes
• Andy Wright, Streamtime
• Brent Smart, IAG
• Carol Morris, Suncorp
• Clive Prosser, Advertising Week APAC
• Damien Pashby, Ogilvy
• John Bastick, B&T
• Karen Halligan, KPMG
• Luke Hawkins, Ogilvy
• Maureen Brooks, Indigenous Literacy Foundation
• Michelle Holland, Ogilvy
• Paul Everson, JWT
• Priya Patel, DDB
• Rebecca Darley, Westpac
• Rob Pyne, Realizer
• Sally Kissane, Ogilvy
• Shani Langi, Usual Suspects
• Sharice Bellantonio, Usual Suspects
• Sudeep Gohil, KPMG
• Toby Harrison, Ogilvy
• Vivienne Kelly, Mumbrella

Media Agency Gang:

• Bendon McKeon, Group M
• Gavin Gibson, OMD
• Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham
• Jonny Cordony, Zenith
• Kim Hamilton, OMD
• Kristian Kroon, Omnicom Media Group
• Lisa Gray, IPG Mediabrands
• Luke Hutchinson, Hearts & Science
• Peter Vogel, Wavemaker
• Philippa Noilea-Tani, Wavemaker
• Ryan Hedditch, Posterscope
• Simon Williams, Carat
• Stephanie Douglas-Neal, PHD
• Venessa Hunt, Group M
• Virgina Hyland, Hyland Media
• Wendy Gower, Hearts & Science

Tech Gang:

• Angus Keene, Twitter
• Adrian Vallelonga, Google
• Carolyn Bollaci, Facebook
• Catherine Bowe, Facebook
• Natalie Hodges, Domain
• Paul Sigaloff, Verizon Media
• Paul Kent, Sizmek
• Peter Barry, Pubmatic
• Rachel Page, Verizon Media
• Ricky Chanana, Unruly
• Stephanie Famolaro, The Trade Desk
• Tom Weaving, The Trade Desk

Melbourne Bail Out ‘inmates’ confirmed so far:

• Ally Henthorn, oOh! Media
• David Ponce de Leon, Ogilvy
• Gavin Macmillan, Ogilvy
• Jason Pellogrino, Domain
• Jessica Christakakis, oOh! Media
• Joseph Lyons, REA
• Luke Burr, Verizon Media
• Luke Smith, Seven West Media
• Mel Green, Facebook
• Michael Emmerson, Posterscope
• Nick Gill, Google
• Paul Bates, REA
• Sarah James, Initiative
• Stuart Jaffray, Starcom

Marketing is proud to have UnLtd as its Content Partner. UnLtd brings the Australian media, marketing and advertising industries together to tackle a big issue: undoing youth disadvantage. We urge you to visit unltd.org.au and get involved.