SickKids Campaign Earns Media Coverage

If you want to get some earned media coverage, you need to find a way to fight through the noise. The powerful SickKids Foundation ‘Sick Kids VS’ campaign features real young patients ready to tackle any obstacle and is a great example of how to gain some PR buzz.

With powerful videos (that already have close to 500,000 views in a week) and imagery that tell stories about patients who were asked to bring some of their favourite items to the shoots, it is no surprise that tier one media outlets including The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, CityTV, Metro News and Huffington Post have already covered the brilliant campaign.

Typically, you would expect a hospital to produce a sadvertisement to raise awareness and funds, however, this campaign takes a bold stance that focuses on the courage and bravery that children and their families face instead of appealing to our emotional heartstrings.

Related Chatter: Top Three Emotional Christmas Videos

SickKids Foundation is hoping the campaign will resonate with a new demographic.  There are four TV ads and several posters that feature real patients and staff. “Anthem” is the first commercial and it was aired during the Maple Leafs home opener.

“Grace” is the next commercial that will be released, which is based on a young girl who passed away and her journey with osteosarcoma.

Mad Facts:

• At SickKids, more than 80 per cent of patients with cancer survive
• 98.5 per cent of heart surgeries are successful
• the mortality rate from liver failure for intestinal diseases has dropped to less than 1 per cent, from 22 per cent in 2000

Kudos to SickKids for taking a risk and doing something unexpected but true to its brand. This is a good reminder to fight for your share of the media spotlight with a campaign that resonates with an audience through powerful storytelling.

If you want to find out if your next integrated digital marketing campaign can earn some media coverage, contact us to set up a consultation.