When you’re apart from your seriously ill child, even just a few hours of separation can seem like days, and being in a different city can feel like another planet. It’s something that only a parent whose had to leave their child overnight at a hospital can truly understand.
For 35 years, Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon (RMH BC) has been providing accommodation for seriously ill children and their families who must travel to Vancouver for major medical treatments. Cossette worked with Common Good and Vapor RMW, to launch RMH BC’s first ever mass media campaign, which is aimed at building awareness and raising donations for the House. The campaign illustrates what it feels like when a family can’t be together during these challenging times due to financial or logistical setbacks, and how RMH BC offers them a place to stay together when they need it the most.
“We’re delighted to launch our first-ever mass media campaign, aimed at increasing awareness and driving donations for RMHBC. The House serves 2,000 families every year from communities throughout BC & the Yukon, and we rely on the generous support of donors to fund our mission of keeping families close when it matters most. The campaign was inspired by the strength and resilience of the families we are privileged to serve,” said Shannon Kidd, VP of External Relations and Development at RMH BC.
The campaign focuses on the relationship between a mother and her son who is seriously ill, with the video exploring how any distance between the two feels much farther. This emotionally charged metaphor extends to print and digital executions as well, with mother and son being kept apart using separated ad spaces, highlighting the painful reality of distance between family members in need.
“We tried to tap into the raw emotion of being separated from your sick child when they really need you. In order to express this epic feeling of distance, we took a cinematic approach with the creative, telling a story that we hope will resonate with people who haven’t had to experience it themselves,” shared Cameron Spires, Senior Copywriter and Grace Cho, Senior Art Director at Cossette.
