Butterfly Foundation has appointed Edelman Australia as its communications agency of record, following a competitive pitch.

Butterfly Foundation – Australia’s leading organisation advocating for the needs of people living with eating disorders and body image issues – has engaged Edelman to provide services ranging from strategic media relations, executive communications and thought leadership to media training, content creation and events.

Butterfly’s head of communications & engagement, Melissa Wilton said, “We instantly felt the passion from the Edelman team – we love their energy, their creativity, and their deep strategic understanding of Butterfly’s purpose as the voice of lived experience. We have big ambitions as part of our three-year strategic plan and Edelman has quickly become an extension of our team as we work together to achieve these.”

Edelman’s Head of Corporate, APAC and executive sponsor of the Healthcare practice, Susan Redden Makatoa, said, “It’s an honour for us to be partnering with this fabulous organisation on work that is genuinely purposeful and makes a real difference in people’s lives. We are excited to work on creative ways to break down the stereotypes and stigma surrounding an issue that touches so many Australians.”

The appointment comes at a time when disordered eating has increased globally and nationally due to COVID-19 and associated lockdowns, with both bingeing and restrictive eating behaviours used to self- manage the psychological stress related to the pandemic.

Edelman’s first major campaign for Butterfly will be a forthcoming Christmas appeal aimed specifically at breaking down stereotypes of what eating disorders ‘look’ like that will be executed across earned, social and digital media.

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