Rescue-helicopter service STARS is telling its brand story in reverse by flashing through a boy’s life journey – a graduation, a first kiss – that never would have happened if not for the organization’s life-saving care
The organization, which offers ICU-level aid to remote locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, set out to display the emotional effects its program creates and remind that it doesn’t just save lives, it saves futures.
“We knew that we wanted to approach this in a way that felt different than how you’d expect this story to be told,” says Don Shelford, executive creative director at agency partner Rethink.
Inspiration for the spot came from different true stories from people saved by STARS.
As a primarily donor-funded organization, Shelford says it was crucial to make clear the impact of STARS’s work and help the public understand the importance of donations. Rethink also set a goal to ensure every single person working at STARS would see themselves reflected in the spot and take a sense of pride.
According to the agency, this type of brand campaign is uncommon for STARS.
“To celebrate 40 years of service and the impact made across Western Canada, we wanted to do something special to raise awareness with the next generation of donors about the life-saving work that STARS does for the communities it operates in,” Shelford says.
Rethink led the campaign on strategy and creative and Epitaph led on media. The spot went live with a 45-second OLV and 30- and 15-second versions for TV.
