When it comes to creativity, Spotlight hits a record-breaking mark!
Since 2019 Spotlight has been Starlight’s Official Creativity Partner. Through the partnership, Spotlight provides art, craft and party supplies to Starlight Express Rooms across the country and has created innovative fundraising campaigns engaging their teams and customers.
Thanks to Spotlight’s incredible support, seriously ill children have access to even more fun, play and creativity helping to distract them from the pain and stress of hospital.
Every year the Spotlight and Starlight teams work together to create an unforgettable Book Week celebration for sick kids in hospital. The annual event has grown to become a key pillar of the partnership.
Through their generous donations of costumes, craft supplies and materials, Spotlight helps spark the joy of reading and imagination and ensures sick kids don’t miss out on much-loved childhood events simply because they are in hospital. Throughout the week, Starlight Express Rooms are filled with fun, stories and laughter as kids dress as their favourite book characters and families share important moments of happiness.
The Spotlight team’s generosity extends beyond our hospital programs to our Wishgranting and Moments Programs helping to create lasting positive memories for children and their families. Additionally, they also support our major fundraising galas and dinners providing
decorations and event supplies.
In 2024, Spotlight was keen to explore new ways to increase their impact for seriously ill children, so collaborated with the Starlight Partnerships team to jointly develop a new fundraising initiative with shared goals and objectives.
The result was the Help Us Make Dreams Come True campaign. This new initiative enabled Spotlight customers to get involved as they knew supporting children and families would resonate with their customer base.
Throughout the campaign, customers could donate at all their stores across Australia simply adding their preferred amount to their purchase, making the process easy and seamless.
The overwhelming generosity of the Spotlight community and customers created an outstanding result. In its first year, the campaign raised in excess of $170,000 in one month, helping to grant 23 life-changing Starlight Wishes for seriously ill children.
Spotlight’s commitment to make this campaign a success was reflected in the rollout of their comprehensive, integrated communication plan. They promoted the campaign across Spotlight’s social media channels, product catalogue, in stores, online and via their customer newsletters.
The campaign used strong messaging consistently across all their platforms including a web site home page take over, blog page, landing page and posters helping to build awareness and inspiring customers to get involved. Investing in paid social advertising helped to encourage more people to support the campaign contributing to the amazing fundraising result.
The campaign also received media coverage, further raising awareness of Spotlight’s community engagement to the general public.
Spotlight staff wholeheartedly embraced the campaign and were kept engaged with ongoing communications, so team members had the relevant information and resources they needed to bring the campaign to life for their customers. We also shared inspirational Starlight stories to showcase their impact and to demonstrate the lasting difference their support creates for sick kids. The passion from everyone getting behind the campaign was nothing short of amazing!
After the immense success of 2024, we never could have imagined what the Spotlight team would achieve in 2025.
Exceeding all expectations, their Starlight campaign in May 2025 raised a record-breaking $519,912, enough to grant an epic 70 Starlight Wishes!
The campaign showcased new instore branded collateral to capture their customers attention to encourage more people to donate.
Again, we are in awe of the incredibly motivated and engaged staff who were determined to raise even more funds and making a bigger impact than last year.
“Our community is at the heart of what we do at Spotlight. Our Partnership with Starlight champions the brand's ethos helping kids express themselves creatively and driving lasting positive impact in the community. With the generous support of our team and customers, we’ve been able to bring vital happiness to seriously ill children and their families across Australia,” said Quentin Gracanin, CEO, Spotlight at Spotlight Retail Group.
As we continue to grow our partnership, we will explore new and creative ways to work together to further drive fundraising to help bring even more happiness to sick kids and their families.
Spotlight’s generous ongoing donations of goods along with Book Week and the Help Us Make Dreams Come True campaigns will continue to be key activations helping to create a lasting impact on the lives of seriously ill children and enabling Spotlight to deepen their customer engagement aligned to their values and purpose.
The continued passion and dedication from everyone involved is the driving force behind the unprecedented growth and success of this partnership.
"Thank you so much Spotlight for helping us to give that light to so many more seriously ill children. This will change their lives; give them memories to last forever,” said Louise Baxter, CEO, Starlight Children’s Foundation.
