Crowd-funding raises thousands towards new Australia Day ad campaign featuring girls in hijabs
Updated 37 minutes ago

Hundreds of people have given money to fund an advertising campaign featuring two girls in hijabs, after an Australia Day billboard which used their photo was taken down following complaints.

The electronic billboard at Cranbourne, in Melbourne's south-east, was part of a Victorian Government campaign to promote Australia Day events in the city.

It showed two girls wearing hijabs, a head covering worn by some Muslim women, celebrating Australia Day last year.

Yesterday, Victoria's Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said the company that operated the billboard, QMS, took the ad down based on the safety of their employees and business infrastructure.

"There were a series of complaints, some of which were of an abusive and threatening nature, that were made to the organisation QMS that put the billboard up," he said.

Executive creative director of Campaign Edge advertising agency, Dee Madigan, is behind the Go Fund Me campaign to feature the girls in another campaign.

The campaign page states the agency is "talking to media buyers now" and "looking at a full-page press ad and a billboard to start".

"The same groups who complain 'Muslims don't assimilate', complained about the photo OF AUSTRALIAN MUSLIMS CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA DAY," the post reads.

"And due to this pressure the billboard was removed.

"If you or your business thinks this is not OK, please help us fund a billboard and print campaign featuring these two girls promoting Australia Day."

The campaign has a stated goal of $50,000.

Two hours after going live, it had already secured more than $14,000 in pledged support.