Events, Seasonal and Short-Term
Situation Analysis: Every year, more than 100,000 children come to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) for life-saving care, and the number continues to grow. Donations are necessary to support the ongoing efforts of SickKids, but the number of organizations competing for donor dollars is extensive, especially during the winter holiday season. The goal for the 2013 holiday season fundraising campaign was to exceed the $26.5 million raised during the same period in 2012.
Insight & Strategy: The impact of SickKids has best been summarized by the campaign tagline “Together we will” and the accompanying soundtrack of “You Got It” by Roy Orbison. But it is the indomitable spirit of the children themselves that is truly inspiring. Despite facing the most serious health issues, the children remain brave and resilient, facing each day with optimism, meaning that every child at SickKids has amazing real-life powers that have the ability to inspire. Focusing on the children would provide the opportunity to tell a deeper story about SickKids, about the success made possible by donor engagement and support. The campaign would focus on the story of Antonio, a remarkable young boy that approached every hurdle with the spirit and determination of a superhero.
Execution: What better place than a movie theatre to remind people that real life superheroes don’t wear capes or have X-ray vision? Running in November 2013, an unsuspecting audience watched a typical Hollywood trailer that narrated the “would-be” story of an imaginary superhero. Suddenly the true story of our real-life, cancer-survivor hero, Antonio, interrupted the trailer, with Antonio in the audience taking a bow as the audience cheered. A video of the event was rolled out across multiple digital platforms and a one-day Cineplex blitz featuring the Antonio video during the preshow created buzz and encouraged social chatter.
Results: Revenue attributed to the campaign increased by 19.5% compared to the 2012 campaign.
The Antonio video received 299,024 views, while website visits were near double the target.
Cause & Effect: The Antonio video achieved a completion rate for video views on the Visible Measures network of 45% compared to the industry average of 22%, while on Facebook the Antonio post outperformed all other campaign posts, with engagement (likes, comments, shares) reaching a 198% increase over the average SickKids Facebook post and driving a 12% lift in Facebook fans during the campaign period. Overall the budget was comparable with past years and the majority of the spend went on re-airing the same TV spot from the previous year.
Credits:
Client: SickKids Foundation
Agency: JWT Canada
Media agency: Mindshare
Creative directors: Brent Choi, Ryan Spelliscy, Jed Churcher
Art director: Christian Martinez
Copywriter: Tyler Schell
