Uber and the Australian Red Cross have launched the seventh iteration of their annual clothing drive, tapping celebrity and swimmer Cody Simpson to lead the marketing push.
For one day only on Saturday, October 18, Australians can book a free Uber Courier between 10am and 4pm to have their pre-loved clothing collected from their doorstep and delivered straight to Australian Red Cross Shop drop-off locations across Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Last year, Uber and the Red Cross’s clothing drive saw more than 80,000 kilograms of clothing collected. This year, the pair are hoping to tackle an estimated 231 million pieces of clothing that are gathering dust in Australian wardrobes, which is according to research conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,000 adult (18+) respondents in Australia and New Zealand.
This year’s campaign push commenced this week and builds on last year’s message to focus on quality donations. This comes as clothing resellers face a struggle with low-quality and unwearable donations brought on by a rise in fast fashion and a decline in hand-me-downs. This is, at least, according to the former CEO of the Salvation Army, Matt Davis, who shared this in late 2023.
The campaign will unpack Simpson’s journey in a 60-second hero film, where the swimmer will sift through his fashion archives.
“Like many people, I've explored different eras with my fashion throughout the years,” Simpson said. “Some of these outfits have been in music videos, while others were part of a very different kind of journey.
“The idea that someone else will now be able to wear them and give them a new life is what the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive is all about – letting go and giving back in the process.”
Australian Red Cross director of marketing, communication and customer experience, Kira Reed, said quality donations in particular are central to the charity’s ethos.
“They mean more value for our customers when they visit our stores and, in turn, deliver vital funding for our humanitarian programs, which support vulnerable communities right across Australia,” Reed said.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the support of both Uber and Cody Simpson, and want to thank Australians in advance for entering their own ‘donation era’, and helping us fund critical humanitarian programmes across the country.”
Head of Marketing at Uber ANZ, Nicole Bardsley, added that this campaign has become an annual charity drive that Australians look forward to.
“What began as a simple idea of using our technology to make donating easier has now become a nationwide moment where people come together to give back in meaningful ways,” Bardsley said.
“This year, with Cody at the helm, we’re proud to see the campaign continue to evolve creatively while staying true to its purpose: turning quality clothes we no longer wear into impact for communities that need it most.”