Inheritance Is Just Another Thing Ruined by Gen Z in Youngbloods Gruen Pitch

Tasked with convincing parents to spend their kids’ inheritances, NSW and VIC committees, representing the next generation of advertisers, went head-to-head again on The Pitch last week.

Despite their whole ethos being giving a sh*t about young industry professionals, Youngbloods went to great lengths to make sure young Aussies never see a cent of their parents’ money during last week’s 'Gruen' Pitch.

Panellist Todd Sampson said, “They’re two of my favourites. Whenever we see the Youngbloods, I think advertising has a future… or the world is doomed.”

In a shocking turn of events, the teams tied the panel’s votes for the fifth season in a row, continuing the long running tradition of participation trophies going to every young person.

Guest panellist, author and advisor Lauren Zonfrillo, said, “Every single person that worked on that should be really proud of themselves, they were excellent”.

Jessica Sutanto, planning director at BMF and guest panellist, favoured the VIC spot for its “tension build and then the rug pull into them being in a hospital room -- that scene reveal.”

Youngbloods VIC co-chairs, Felix Barnett and Georgia Payne said their team were inspired by Australia’s impending intergenerational wealth transfer, which is set to be the largest in history, creating an estimated 400,000 new millionaires by 2028.

“So many cracking ideas were thrown around the room,” the pair said. “But in the end the determining factor for us was making it clear that we were talking about inheritances -- not pocket money from still alive parents.”

The co-chairs said the spot wouldn’t have been possible without their hard-working team, adding “Producing it entirely ourselves through our own connections made the process and the finished spot all the more special, so a huge thank you to everyone who played a part.”

Panellist and model, Russel Howcroft, said the originality of the NSW spot is what made him chose it.

“They are both genuinely outstanding… I’ve never seen an umbilical cord [used in advertising before].”

Youngbloods NSW co-chairs, Jake Rowland and Ruby Tonkin, said the brief was an opportunity push beyond the boundaries of what’s typically considered ‘sellable’ in day-to-day advertising.

“We wanted to make something bolder, stranger, and more unexpected, and we fully leant into that ambition,” they said. “Driven by the insight that Australia’s aging population feel constrained by the unspoken expectations of inheritance, we decided to create a metaphor that literally showed what it feels like to be held back from spending your own hard-earned money.”

The co-chairs say they owe everything to their deeply collaborative team.

“Their craft elevated the film far beyond what we initially imagined. It’s amazing what’s possible when young people in the industry are given trust to play."

Stay up to date with Youngbloods on LinkedIn and Instagram, and catch the full Gruen episode on ABC iView (S17, EP6).