How it started 

When we came up with the idea of Julius in September 2019, there were fires burning – but we couldn’t have predicted how bad it was going to get and in an ironic twist, Julius’ timing was very appropriate considering the extensive damage done to our flora and fauna.

Our Julius idea was a simple concept: Make an iconic teddy-Koala, send him from location to location to spread fun, love and raise social awareness to the state of our wildlife, track his progress on social media and for every stop, B. Braun would donate a fixed amount to WIRES.

It wasn’t just his mission that made him unique. Julius was fitted with a GPS tracker so we could all follow his journey. If you pushed his little paw, he would talk to you and tell you his mission. On top of that, he was made out of B. Braun work clothes that were no longer used and this gave him quite a distinguished look. 

His mission in Australia

Having it all: a look and an important mission, Julius became very popular among our customers and was welcomed in almost every state of Australia. Besides being a cute little distraction for the staff, Julius got involved in monitoring anaesthesia, minding veterinary clinic receptions and even helping with an X-Ray. We were overwhelmed seeing how our partners supported this initiative and how they got creative to get the best photos. He posed with Dogs, Cats, Cows, and Horses and of course, his fellow kin.

His mission in B. Braun Group Globally

We are a family company, and the family values to support each other are very much alive, so it was just a matter of time until our colleagues from other B. Braun subsidiaries worldwide wanted to welcome Julius and donate to help in recovery of the Australian wildlife. 

Julius’ first destination was B. Braun HQ in Melsungen, Germany. From there he travelled the world through Switzerland, UK, France, Austria, Sweden, US, Czech Republic and finished in Japan. 

B. Braun Colleagues really went above and beyond to show Julius around. They showed him storage and distribution centres, Implant production sites, staff canteens, Japanese cherry blossoms – he even visited the ABBA museum in Stockholm. These interactions made our campaign even more meaningful and highlighted the B. Braun values we live by. 

The Results

Despite the distance travelled and the travel and logistical disruptions, we did our best. Julius’ success could not have happened without the support of our campaign partners who helped us raise $15,000AUD, donated to WIRES: Digital Matter – they provided the GPS tracker to follow his journey and Sendle Australia – they provide the delivery service that allowed Julius to travel carbon neutral.

To all the participating Veterinary Clinics, teaching institutions and local businesses that kept his mission moving forward, for sharing the hilarious and creative photos of yourselves & Julius you shared on Social Media using #juliusthekoala or tagging @bbraun_vetcare_au, we thank you for your support.

There were many donations also made by B. Braun employees throughout the world and for this we are very grateful.