ADC Awards
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Category
Best of Non-Profit
Annual ID
ADC105_HTW003G
Background
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is not only the #2 children’s hospital in the world, it also has some of the best-known and most-impactful fundraising campaigns globally.
So, when SickKids turned 150, a momentous occasion for the hospital, they wanted to mark the anniversary in a way that felt fresh and would galvanize donors. But it still had to feel right for the brand.
And while SickKids was excited to celebrate its 150-year anniversary, it would be doing so in a climate of pessimism and reluctance to donate. A majority of Canadians are feeling overwhelmed, stressed and pessimistic.1 With heaviness and stress at every turn, people begin to feel desensitized to the causes that need their help. Charitable donations in Canada are in decline, hitting a 20-year low.2
We needed a campaign to counteract all of that. Something that would reinvigorate the love for a 150-year-old hospital, and encourage donations during a time when people are being tighter with their wallets than ever.
Our goal was to create a campaign based on a universal, emotional truth, to connect to new audiences and motivate one-time donations. Our objectives were:
Drive $2,595,850 in one-time donations
Acquire 9005 new monthly donors
Generate a 5% increase in YOY revenue
1. Angus Reid Group
2. Fraser Institute
So, when SickKids turned 150, a momentous occasion for the hospital, they wanted to mark the anniversary in a way that felt fresh and would galvanize donors. But it still had to feel right for the brand.
And while SickKids was excited to celebrate its 150-year anniversary, it would be doing so in a climate of pessimism and reluctance to donate. A majority of Canadians are feeling overwhelmed, stressed and pessimistic.1 With heaviness and stress at every turn, people begin to feel desensitized to the causes that need their help. Charitable donations in Canada are in decline, hitting a 20-year low.2
We needed a campaign to counteract all of that. Something that would reinvigorate the love for a 150-year-old hospital, and encourage donations during a time when people are being tighter with their wallets than ever.
Our goal was to create a campaign based on a universal, emotional truth, to connect to new audiences and motivate one-time donations. Our objectives were:
Drive $2,595,850 in one-time donations
Acquire 9005 new monthly donors
Generate a 5% increase in YOY revenue
1. Angus Reid Group
2. Fraser Institute
Creative Idea
Fight for Every Birthday: An anniversary campaign that galvanizes support by focusing on the only gift that really matters — a child’s next birthday.
For SickKids patients, making it from one birthday to the next isn’t a given. It’s a fight. Each day, week, and month, patients, families, and the hospital fight forward.
Their fight is not dissimilar to that of a professional athlete. The game, match or bout, is just a marker. The real fight is what happens every day before that.
So, we joined two highly distinct visual and emotional worlds: athletic training, and children’s birthdays. Featuring real SickKids patients in a series of athletic training scenes blended with birthday imagery, we depicted patients literally training and fighting for their next birthday.
The campaign comes to life in three phases: Inspire, Believe, and Act. First, our mass media through CTV, YouTube, social, and OOH inspires the audience to understand the fight that these kids are facing. Then, we follow up with targeted Believe video content, to show them the difference their $150 gift could make. Finally, in Act, we convert through retargeted social and digital tactics.
The campaign proves that reaching their next birthday is the goal that SickKids, and you, can help these kids achieve. It’s a powerful creative approach that lends itself to motivating storytelling at every moment of the donor journey.
For SickKids patients, making it from one birthday to the next isn’t a given. It’s a fight. Each day, week, and month, patients, families, and the hospital fight forward.
Their fight is not dissimilar to that of a professional athlete. The game, match or bout, is just a marker. The real fight is what happens every day before that.
So, we joined two highly distinct visual and emotional worlds: athletic training, and children’s birthdays. Featuring real SickKids patients in a series of athletic training scenes blended with birthday imagery, we depicted patients literally training and fighting for their next birthday.
The campaign comes to life in three phases: Inspire, Believe, and Act. First, our mass media through CTV, YouTube, social, and OOH inspires the audience to understand the fight that these kids are facing. Then, we follow up with targeted Believe video content, to show them the difference their $150 gift could make. Finally, in Act, we convert through retargeted social and digital tactics.
The campaign proves that reaching their next birthday is the goal that SickKids, and you, can help these kids achieve. It’s a powerful creative approach that lends itself to motivating storytelling at every moment of the donor journey.
Insights & Strategy
SickKids’ 150th anniversary was a massive, milestone moment for the hospital, and one that they rightly wanted to use to drive donations and excitement.
And while SickKids was excited to celebrate its 150-year anniversary, it would be doing so in a climate of pessimism and reluctance to donate. A majority of Canadians are feeling overwhelmed, stressed and pessimistic. With heaviness and stress at every turn, people begin to feel desensitized to the causes that need their help. Charitable donations in Canada are in decline, hitting a 20-year low.
We needed a campaign to counteract all of that. Something that would reinvigorate the love for a 150-year-old hospital and encourage donations during a time when people are being tighter with their wallets than ever.
However, 150 years of medical milestones and lives saved are important, but history lessons don't motivate action. The future does.
So our approach didn't focus on SickKids' 150th anniversary. We focused on the birthdays that, without SickKids, might not ever come.
The Insight: Every child deserves to get to their next birthday.
When your next birthday might not come, you’ll fight like hell to make sure it does. One year at a time, every single year, SickKids and its patients are in the fight for their lives. Fight For Every Birthday is an emotional campaign and call-to-action to join that fight, because the older SickKids gets, the older its patients get.
The campaign artfully weaves birthday imagery with athletic metaphors alongside real life moments of children as they literally and metaphorically fight for their birthday.
And while SickKids was excited to celebrate its 150-year anniversary, it would be doing so in a climate of pessimism and reluctance to donate. A majority of Canadians are feeling overwhelmed, stressed and pessimistic. With heaviness and stress at every turn, people begin to feel desensitized to the causes that need their help. Charitable donations in Canada are in decline, hitting a 20-year low.
We needed a campaign to counteract all of that. Something that would reinvigorate the love for a 150-year-old hospital and encourage donations during a time when people are being tighter with their wallets than ever.
However, 150 years of medical milestones and lives saved are important, but history lessons don't motivate action. The future does.
So our approach didn't focus on SickKids' 150th anniversary. We focused on the birthdays that, without SickKids, might not ever come.
The Insight: Every child deserves to get to their next birthday.
When your next birthday might not come, you’ll fight like hell to make sure it does. One year at a time, every single year, SickKids and its patients are in the fight for their lives. Fight For Every Birthday is an emotional campaign and call-to-action to join that fight, because the older SickKids gets, the older its patients get.
The campaign artfully weaves birthday imagery with athletic metaphors alongside real life moments of children as they literally and metaphorically fight for their birthday.
Execution
“The Count” is an emotional and motivating piece of film. Starring 23 real patients of the hospital, and filmed almost entirely within the hospital itself, it uses athletic imagery to create parallels between the aggressive training regimen of a pro athlete, and the fight for their lives that SickKids patients take part in every single day.
Every scene was shot practically so that patients could meaningfully engage with their metaphorical training scenario and give the most authentic performance possible. The performances are raw and real, capturing the patients’ fighting spirit and their vulnerability. For some, their takes took everything. They gave it all to the camera, and left nothing on the field.
In order to cast the film, production worked closely with the hospital’s Patient Outreach Team to identify active pediatric cases who fit the casting specs and would also be able to perform the physical actions required of them. Due to the fact that the patients were still actively or partially in treatment, traditional auditions or rehearsals were not possible. Instead, production relied on the hospital staff’s familiarity with patients and their close relationships with patients’ parents in order to judge their suitability for the role. Given the nature of the patients’ conditions, this was often a tall order. As a result of the stark reality of shooting with real patients, multiple children became suddenly unavailable due to medical reasons days before the shoot, making casting a living, constant process throughout the shoot.
The music and sound design puts the listener right there with us in the hospital, celebrating the milestone of a child turning a year older and the achievement this represents for someone with real medical struggles. We worked hard to avoid falling into the stylistic traps, opting rather for realism and hyper-realism.
Every scene was shot practically so that patients could meaningfully engage with their metaphorical training scenario and give the most authentic performance possible. The performances are raw and real, capturing the patients’ fighting spirit and their vulnerability. For some, their takes took everything. They gave it all to the camera, and left nothing on the field.
In order to cast the film, production worked closely with the hospital’s Patient Outreach Team to identify active pediatric cases who fit the casting specs and would also be able to perform the physical actions required of them. Due to the fact that the patients were still actively or partially in treatment, traditional auditions or rehearsals were not possible. Instead, production relied on the hospital staff’s familiarity with patients and their close relationships with patients’ parents in order to judge their suitability for the role. Given the nature of the patients’ conditions, this was often a tall order. As a result of the stark reality of shooting with real patients, multiple children became suddenly unavailable due to medical reasons days before the shoot, making casting a living, constant process throughout the shoot.
The music and sound design puts the listener right there with us in the hospital, celebrating the milestone of a child turning a year older and the achievement this represents for someone with real medical struggles. We worked hard to avoid falling into the stylistic traps, opting rather for realism and hyper-realism.
Results
Our year-long anniversary campaign delivered incredible results:
$3,328,050 raised, 128% of our one-time revenue goal
18,137 new one-time donors, 117% of our goal
9788 new monthly donors, 108% of our goal
+10% in YOY revenue
+181% YOY increase in average donations
SickKids 150th anniversary was the catalyst, but the real story focused on the fight to save the lives of its patients, so that they can get to that next birthday.
$3,328,050 raised, 128% of our one-time revenue goal
18,137 new one-time donors, 117% of our goal
9788 new monthly donors, 108% of our goal
+10% in YOY revenue
+181% YOY increase in average donations
SickKids 150th anniversary was the catalyst, but the real story focused on the fight to save the lives of its patients, so that they can get to that next birthday.
2026 Awards
Total Points: 90
Best of Non-Profit Cube
Credits
Agency
FCB Canada (TBWA\Canada) / Toronto
Client / Brand
SickKids Foundation
Production Company
Iconoclast
Music / Sound Production Company
Soundtree Music
Post Production Company
Work Editorial
Art Director
Brendan McMullen
Erika Jee
Associate Creative Director
Brendan McMullen
Jacob Pacey
Chief Creative Officer
Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Chief Marketing Officer
Heather Clark
Chief Strategy Officer
Shelley Brown
Copywriter
Jacob Pacey
Reena Feldman
Director
Clément Durou (We Are From LA)
Director of Photography
Shady Hanna
Executive Creative Director
Andrew MacPhee
CCO
Peter Raeburn
ECD
Gavin Wellsman
EVP, Global Creative Partner
Danilo Boer
Executive Producer
Alejandra Alarcon
Charles Marie Anthonioz
Ian Webb
Senior Producer
Neil Athale
SVP, Strategy Director
Shelagh Hartford
2D Lead
Antoine Douadi
Account Supervisor
Sophie Seidelin
Additional Music Production
John Mourounas
Luke Fabian
Maddie Stephenson
Additional Sound Design & Mix
Henning Knoepfel
Associate Director, Brand Marketing
Jessica Myers
Associate Director, Brand Strategy, Governance & Production
Tina Tieu Lafrance
Associate Director, Global Communications & Content
Emilie Sharp
Associate Director, Public Relations
Tania Kwong
Associate, Community Stakeholder Relations
Kylie White
Casting Company
Powerhouse Casting
CG Lead
Ajit Menon
Rafael Ghencev
CG Lighting
Eva Kuehlmann
Steve Eisenmann
Colour
ARC Creative
Colour Assist
Amonnie Nicolas
Nick Yelesin
Compositing
Claudio Gonzalez
Sean Loughran
Yoon-sun Bae
Coordinator, Brand Strategy, Governance & Production
Melody Zhang
Coordinator, Community Stakeholder Relations
Dymond Phillip
Cutting Assistant, Longform
Fatos Marishta
Director, Brand Marketing Management
Roy Gruia
Director, Public Relations & Communications
Sandra Chiovitti
Editor, :60 and :30
Fatos Marishta
Editor, Longform
Neil Smith
EP
Alexandra Lubrano
Catherine M. Fischer
EVP, General Manager
Tracy Little
FX
Jordan Gestring
Rui Huang
Wensen Liang
Group Account Director
Rose Noble
Head of Corporate Communications and Reputation
Tim Welsh
Head of Production
Chris Delarenal
Manager, Brand Strategy, Governance & Production
Anne Hernandez
Manager, Integrated Brand Marketing
Joanna Yu
Manager, Public Relations & Stakeholder Relations
Taylor Huff
Managing Director
Erica Thompson
Matchmove Supervisor
Sergio Villegas
Matte Painting
Charles Lee
Roger Hom
MD
Jay James
Music Composer & Producer
Luis Almau
Peter Raeburn
Production Coordinator
Alex Ponce
Production Service Company
Merchant
Senior Broadcast Producer
Tess Waisglass
Shoot Supervisor
Jeff Lopez
Sound Design & Mix
Jack Patterson
Sr Colourist
Mikey Pehanich
VFX
ARC Creative
VP, Broadcast Production
Sarah Michener
VP, Head of Brand, Content & Communications
Kate Torrance
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