Diggers Tribute 2020
Our Aim
As we stand apart let’s stand together for our veterans.
To help fundraising efforts while we all faced the new and emerging challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Helping both the Australian community to connect with the Spirit of Remembrance, while supporting our veteran charities through this tough time.
The Context
As national lockdowns swept across the country in 2020, Anzac Day commemorations and events were shut down, leaving veterans and charity organisations looking for new ways to continue to support and commemorate Anzac Day 2020. The Diggers Tribute had been a previously created site by BrandNet, but a unique opportunity to support our community through the platform was put forward in 2020. The Diggers Tribute would become a community hub hosting donation links, community information, activities, and news in the lead-up to Anzac Day 2020.
How We Made it Happen
Easy Giving
Putting out the call to support fundraising in the run-up to Anzac Day 2020. COVID-19 restrictions put a hold on our Anzac Day traditions. Community dawn services and marches did not proceed, and our veteran fundraisers were missing from the streets. This was a big blow for all, but for local veteran charities who use Anzac Day fundraising to care for veterans and families in your community, it was devastating. While we missed them outside our local shop and no doubt, they missed catching up with us, working together, we continued to support our veteran fundraisers.
To support charities during the COVID-19 response, the Military Shop donated 20% of all sales, including its full range of products, until Anzac Day 2020 to create a funding pool based on the location of purchases. At the end of April, these funds were distributed to our military charities in these areas. Once the 20% product donation period had passed, supporters of the Military Shop were encouraged to click through and donate to charities of their choice directly from the Diggers Tribute.
On top of the 20% offer, another Easy Giving offer was created to support the community. For April 2020, Military Shop donated 100% of every sale of select low-number limited edition medallions and sets from two of the ground-breaking and inspirational collections to supporting local military charities and the veterans and families they serve.
Great Bear Hunt
We’re going on a bear hunt.
As part of the community outreach side of the Diggers Tribute, we encouraged communities to get involved by adding a bit of fun to lockdown walks for all kids by putting a teddy bear in your front window. When kids were out walking with their families, they were often on the lookout for bears in windows. It was a worldwide phenomenon that brought smiles and excitement to our kids. We encouraged our supporters to be part of it and make the lockdown a little more BEARable.
Our Great War Bears offered a wonderful opportunity to help communities get involved, either through our full-size collectable bears, or the incredible resources created, including colouring-in pages for kids of all ages.
Community Support
A separated community united by spirit. For the first time in more than 100 years, we could not attend traditional dawn services. But we could still stand together as a community to honour the service and sacrifice of our diggers and be true to the values and spirit they fought to defend. In 2020, Australians were urged to stand at the end of their driveway on Anzac Day and as a community in isolation, herald the dawn in honour and pride.
This was further extended by the endorsement by RSL National and the Light Up the Dawn tradition was also created. Light Up the Dawn has continued in both 2021 and 2022 as it supported the traditional dawn services at cenotaphs and memorials. The Driveway at Dawn movement and RSL Light Up the Dawn were both supported by the Diggers Tribute.
With free downloads of red poppies, as well as activities for kids to encourage engagement, we were proud to help support our community in coming to the end of their driveway to honour the dawn on Anzac Day. Community invitations and other materials were also available.
The Outcome
300 veteran charity partners shared in the incredible $40,000 donation. The Australian community have come together to support veteran charities through the Diggers Tribute initiative. Simply purchasing products through our partner websites has allowed BrandNet to donate a further $40,000 to the veteran community.
COVID-19 has inspired the BrandNet team to seek new and innovative ways to continue to support the veteran community. We were thrilled to launch the Military Shop Affiliate Program, a new way for veteran charities to raise funds and continue their support of veterans in their local communities. Our Diggers Tribute page also remains an important source of learning resources, fun family activities, and information on how you can support veteran charities, including the RSL, Legacy, Soldier On, Mates 4 Mates, Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, National Servicemen’s Association Australia, Young Diggers, Wounded Heroes Australia, and the Royal Australian Regiment Association, veterans, and their families.
Our Diggers Tribute page remains a wonderful source of blogs, articles and news, alongside shared stories and experiences from our community and their friends, families, and followers. Our community can share their stories using the hashtags #diggerstribute, #anzacathome or #intheirhonour, or can share directly through our site.
We continue to work to rally behind our veteran charities during the ongoing challenges that are presented to us all.