Variety, the Children’s Charity of BC, is asking viewers to watch a telethon by leaning into the nostalgia of tube televisions and the event’s history in the province.

The nonprofit’s “The Show of Hearts,” airing on Global BC TV Feb. 23, is a rallying cry for residents in the province to support kids with disabilities and complex health needs.

The campaign’s digital and social creative couple emotion-filled photos with vibrant, saturated colours that are meant to echo the joy the “Show of Hearts” brings to kids and their families, according to agency partner, Wasserman, a fully integrated indie ad agency in Vancouver, which was selected to manage the campaign for the 2025 Show of Hearts in September 2024.

The agency tells strategy that many people in the target audience recall the iconic telethon from their childhood and it wanted to tap into that nostalgia. “We wanted to visualize that sense of hope,” agency president Cam Landell says. “The show gives kids an opportunity to be kids. That’s something worth tuning in for.”

Pairing a collection of vintage televisions with a simple, powerful message is about making the connection that the programming is the first, critical step in transforming the lives of BC kids.

This is the organization’s 59th annual “Show of Hearts telethon,” which features performances by Lights, Barenaked Ladies and others. The funds Variety raises during the show will provide new adaptive equipment, essential therapies and specialized care to BC kids with complex health needs.

“By tuning in, viewers can actually help hundreds of kids take the first step toward achieving their unique potential,” says Shawn MacInnes, Variety BC’s director of marketing and communications.

The campaign, which launched this month in British Columbia, includes digital and social media buy, in partnership with Global TV.