Ronald McDonald House Canada (RMHC) is focusing on the emotional toll long car trips take on the families of sick children.

The non-profit’s latest work, “Never-Ending Drive,” was informed in part by the real-life story of an Alberta family of a child who had to drive five hours to and from Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton for treatment. The family had been staying at RMHC Alberta, Edmonton for hundreds of nights, a vitally important timesaver and source of hope.

Stephanie Bateman, head of brand at RMHC says that the 16 Ronald McDonald Houses and 19 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms across Canada help shorten the distance for families, but that RMHC is unable to support up to four out of five families who need the RMHC House program due to a lack of space or no available program location.

“We saw a huge opportunity to evolve our messaging approach,” says Bateman, telling strategy it shifted to address a sense of urgency, using the simple statement that donations can “help families with sick children stay together.”

“Over the years, nationally, we have been focused on building awareness of RMHC and our mission, and today we have 95% familiarity,” Bateman adds, saying that RMHC is also trying to educate the public on “how we support families,” including things like meal programs and health and wellness supports.

Across Canada, there are currently 549 bedrooms for families. RMHC aims to grow this number to 884 by 2028 (100 over the next 12 months alone).

The campaign is digital-first, but there will also be OOH, as well as PR and influencer engagement. RMHC is also doing strategic placements in podcasts, which is something many people who have to do long commutes can relate to, Bateman points out. The audio target is parenting, family and leisure podcasts.

Bateman says it is trying to reach a broad audience, and it wants to continue to resonate and build relationships with younger generations.

Cossette led the creative, OMD handled paid media and Weber Shandwick led influencer and communications engagement.

Last fall, McDonald’s and footwear brand, Crocs, collaborated on a merch drop inspired by McDonald’s characters and fan-favorite menu items to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.