Matildas captain Sam Kerr attributes success to AIS coach Aaron Holt

CLIENT: HYUNDAI
OUTLET: THE CANBERRA TIMES

Sam Kerr was staring down the football pitch with her heart pounding and her knee aching as her strength and conditioning coach Aaron Holt prayed 'please don't injure yourself, Sam'.

But she gritted her teeth, finished her final shuttle run, immediately caught a flight and became an international superstar.

The Matildas captain penned a touching two-page letter to her former coach, thanking him for saving her career four years ago.

"It really affected me that someone who I hold in such high regard can think of me four years later and say thanks," Holt said. 

Pole dance school wins poll

CLIENT: CHAPEL STREET PRECINCT ASSOCIATION
OUTLET: THE STONNINGTON LEADER

“The wisdom of crowds”: Why Perth startup Demand.film turned to crowdfunding for the Airbnb of cinemas

CLIENT: DEMAND.FILM
OUTLET: STARTUP SMART

Crowdsourcing cinema startup Demand.film has launched its equity crowdfunding campaign, in a bid to raise at least $150,000 to further expand its global reach.

Founded in 2016 by David Doepel, Andrew Hazelton and Barbara Connell, the Perth-based startup has launched its Birchal campaign, with a minimum investment target of $150,000 and a maximum of $400,000.

The raise gives the startup a pre-valuation of about $8.9 million.

Speaking to StartupSmart, Doepel says the funding will be used to fuel new growth and expansion plans.

The amount is “a good balance to enable us to get the next set of growth going, bed down the expansion we’ve already done, get more momentum … and keep looking at options for other expansion opportunities after that”, he says.

Demand Film expands its reach with a new partnership in India

CLIENT: DEMAND.FILM
OUTLET: IF.COM.AU

Cinema on-demand operator Demand Film has formed a partnership in India with Indian counterpart VKAAO, its eighth market.

In a reciprocal arrangement Demand Film will supply films and feature documentaries to VKAAO, which in turn will provide titles that will be released on Demand Film’s international network.

The news comes as Demand Film makes a public sale offering this Friday, aiming to raise a seven-figure sum via equity crowdfunding platform Birchal, to accelerate its global roll-out and ramp up the volume of releases.

Doepel says: “This expansion is also quite different for our company as we are choosing to partner with an existing company rather than directly enter the territory ourselves. The complexity of the country’s film market coupled with VKAAO’s expertise and their joint venture with PVR means a rapid market entry.”

Exclusive: AFLW star Tayla Harris reveals powerful final lesson from photo that rocked Australia

CLIENT: HYUNDAI
OUTLET: NINE WIDE WORLD OF SPORT

DL COMMS has been working with its sister agency, Neon Black:

Tayla Harris has a simple but powerful message when it comes to online trolls: use the block button.

“I block all trolls and negativity,” the AFLW star told Wide World of Sports.

“Across the board, we should be focusing on the positivity around people in sport, whether it be women or men, and appreciating them for their amazing athletic ability.”

“It is important to support the Matildas because they are women competing in sport representing our nation, striving to achieve similar goals of success to mine as an athlete,” she said.

“The Matildas are about to compete at the FIFA Women's World Cup in France and I'm getting behind this campaign with Hyundai to send my own positive message of support. Speaking from experience, these words of positivity is what spurs you on, supercharges your focus and makes you feel like you have your country behind you.”

Violence in Australia - One Women a Week is Killed in Australia

CLIENT: WANDERSAFE
OUTLET: CHANNEL 7 | THE DAILY EDITION

Stephenie Rodriguez chats with the Daily Edition team about recent domestic violence trends in Australia, her ‘Think Tank’ experience with Sir Richard Branson, her partnership with Ray Lewis and the NRL, as well as how women can keep safe using the WanderSafe safety device and app.

International Burger Day on Studio 10

CLIENT: CHAPEL STREET PRECINCT ASSOCIATION
OUTLET: STUDIO 10

Chrissie Maus, CSPA General Manager, speaks to Nat Hunter and the Studio 10 team about the Chapel Champions Awards which have brought with them some pretty crazy burgers.

Cal Stubbs AKA HulkSmashFood is gearing up for an Australian burger attempt, aiming to eat a 4.2kg burger with 23 patties.

Melbourne eater Cal Stubbs consumes 23 patties in 19 minutes

CLIENT: CHAPEL STREET PRECINCT ASSOCIATION
OUTLET: NEWS.COM.AU

Cal Stubbs is an unassuming and quiet man.

Standing at the counter at a burger joint on Melbourne’s Chapel Street, you’d never know he is capable of superhuman eats — I mean feats.

He’s watching the chef at Roco Mamas prepare 23 beef patties, top them with thick-sliced cheese and then stack them in a way that defies common sense.

On goes 500g of sauce, a few slices of tomato and a black seed bun.

“Are you nervous?” I ask him as he leans in for a closer look.

“I don’t get nervous,” he says, and it’s clear that Cal just wants me to leave him alone so he can start eating. Water loading will make even the most Zen competitive eaters a bit stroppy.

Australian mum invents a handheld safety device for women walking alone at night - featuring a strobe light, piercing alarm and an SOS button

CLIENT: WANDERSAFE
OUTLET: THE DAILY MAIL

An Australian mother has invented a multi-functional non-violent safety device designed to help protect and give peace of mind to women who are walking alone at night.

Stephanie Rodriguez heads up Wandersafe, the company behind The Beacon - a small but powerful unit that easily fits in the palm of the hand and works three times faster than your phone alone.

Canberra invention, the WanderSafe Beacon, improving safety internationally

CLIENT: WANDERSAFE
OUTLET: THE CANBERRA TIMES

Like many women, Stephenie Rodriguez was taught to hold her car keys in between her fingers in case she got into trouble while walking in the street.

In theory, the car key would act like brass knuckles if push came to shove. But, as Ms Rodriguez points out, that plan only works if you can box like Floyd Mayweather.

"It gives us a sense of security but it doesn't actually help us in the face of peril," she says.

While it's easy to believe that "the face or peril" will never actually happen, the reality is that it does.