Clemenger BBDO has partnered with the Design Institute of Australia on a national advocacy campaign urging Australia's designers to identify themselves in the 2026 Census on August 11.
The Write DESIGNER campaign responds to a gap in national data: despite design-related industries contributing an estimated $67.5 billion — more than 3.5% of GDP — to the Australian economy each year, there is no reliable national count of how many designers work in Australia.
The 2026 Census will for the first time code design workforce data under the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Occupation Standard Classification framework, establishing a national benchmark under dedicated occupational group 242 Design Professionals.
The campaign runs across TV, digital and social, anchored by a 60-second film voiced by ARIA award-winning hip-hop artist N'fa Jones of 1200 Techniques, with a score by electronic music composer Jonah Gabriel.
The film features designers including Marc Newson, fashion house Romance Was Born, Ludo Studio (the studio behind Bluey), RØDE Microphones, Reef Design Lab, Blackmagic, Balarinji and PACCAR Australia, the designers behind Kenworth trucks.
Simone LeAmon, CEO of the DIA, said the campaign was a collective act of advocacy for the profession.
"Every day, designers challenge assumptions, solve complex problems, create value and transform 'you can't' into 'you can.' By ensuring designers are accurately counted on Census night, we're building the evidence needed to strengthen advocacy, inform decision making and government policy, and secure greater recognition for design into the future," she said.
Giles Watson, executive creative director at Clemenger BBDO, said designers had stayed invisible despite what they made possible.
"We're turning this census into a moment to celebrate a profession built on challenging assumptions and solving problems most people never see, and just as importantly, a moment to finally get designers counted, credited and recognised," he said.
Credits
Client: Design Institute of Australia
Chief Executive Officer: Simone LeAmon
Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Artist: Steve Leadbeater
Music: Jonah Gabriel
Voiceover: N’fa Jones
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