Background

Indigenous Australians have lived in Australia for over 60,000 years and are considered as of the oldest living cultures in the world. However in their own country, they face numerous injustices and are heavily discriminated against. Half of the young people in juvenile detention are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 2% of the population makes up more than a quarter of the national prison population. An Aboriginal man leaving school is more likely to go to jail than university. Many believe these issues are symptomatic of Indigenous Australians not having a say in how their country is run and the policies that govern them as a culture. Because in 2020, there is still no First Nations voice in the Australian Constitution, leaving the 800,000 Indigenous Australians voiceless. Young Indigenous girls choir Spinifex Gum wanted to use their voice to fight for one in the Australian constitution.

Describe the creative idea

To release their new single ‘Dream Baby Dream’, originally made famous by Bruce Springsteen, we made it more than a song. We turned it into a platform where the dream of every Australian could be expressed: A First Nations voice in the Constitution, and a fairer Australia. We then turned every live show where the song was performed into a way for people to sign an audio petition for change. In turn, Spinifex Gum became leaders of the movement towards a fairer Australia, and turned every one of their fans into ambassadors for the cause.

Describe the strategy

To most Australians, the notion of our First Nations people having a voice in Parliament seems obvious, but unless there’s a referendum, nothing can change. Our strategy was to create a way for every Australian to be able to express their voice, and in turn allow the voiceless to be heard by the Federal Government.

Describe the execution

The song was first embedded into a custom microsite, where anyone could sing along to the chorus in a karaoke-style format with their recording automatically mixed and mastered into the song. Continuously updated on all streaming services, the song featured the ever-growing number of people who contributed to it - the voices of Australia. The microsite and the song became an interactive musical petition demanding change. At the same time, Spinifex Gum went on a national tour around Australia, collecting the voices singing along at every live show, which were all added to the master track. At their final show, which took place on the steps of Parliament House, the vinyl was handed to the Australian Government, demanding change from the voices of a nation.

Describe the outcome

The final song featured over 20,000 voices of Australia, gathered both digitally and at the national shows. The campaign was covered by every major news provider in the country, and garnered over 39.9 million social media impressions. But most importantly, the song provided a platform for every Australian to fight for an Indigenous voice in Parliament, by using their own. The campaign added to the national conversation and growing demand for a First Nations voice in the Constitution, and in the months following, the Indigenous Minister of Australia Ken Wyatt called for a referendum on the issue before the next Federal Election.