Massive Vinnies donation box pops up in Sydney CBD for latest retail campaign

On a spring morning in Sydney’s CBD, office workers making their daily commute to the city discovered that a massive Vinnies donation box had popped up outside 255 George Street.

Towering over passers-by at an impressive four metres tall, the giant box asked people to ‘Bring Your Best’ quality clothing and fashion accessories to donate during the retail campaign activation. A circular hole on each wall allowed those walking by to peek inside, watching as the donations slowly filled up the empty space.

Adorned with the new Vinnies retail branding, the box was designed to raise awareness of the positive impacts that come with donating to Vinnies. Messages on each side explained how each donation contributes to a greater impact through Vinnies’ good works.

The clothing collection effort also extended into corporate offices within the CBD. Representatives from local businesses were invited to take one of 50 smaller donation boxes then encourage their employees to bring in items to donate before the campaign wrapped up.

Vinnies also enlisted the help of Australian reality TV stars Jules Robinson, Brittany Hockley and Lachlan McLean, plus ex-NRL footballer Josh Reynolds and a host of other micro influencers, to launch the campaign and spread the word about the tangible impact that donating clothes can have on people who are doing it tough.

One man working in the nearby 259 George Street building was so inspired when he saw the giant donation box that he immediately fetched a freshly dry-cleaned business shirt from his office, then carried it back down to street level to donate to the campaign. Other inspired workers revisited the activation over the following days with bags of clothing that they brought along on their commute to the office.

By the end of the 72-hour activation period, over 360 kgs of clothing had been placed inside the big box for donation to Vinnies. These donations were transported to our distribution centre where they get sent out to our network of 220+ shops around NSW.

Vinnies shops are a pivotal stream of revenue for the Society, raising funds to operate over 130 programs and services for people who are experiencing disadvantage / dealing with a range of issues including homelessness, domestic and family violence, disability, mental health, youth wellbeing, refugee and migrant inclusion, rehabilitation and addiction. Close to 100,000 people have been supported by Vinnies NSW members over the last year, an increase of 14% over the past 12 months. A further 11,800 people were supported by Vinnies NSW Services across Homelessness and Housing, Health, and Disability and Inclusion, while Vinnies Vans assisted over 100,000 people across the state.