2020 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Challenges and Goals:

The SickKids’ “VS” campaign has been incredibly successful, helping to break the foundations’ fundraising records year over year. Somewhat ironically, this success created a new challenge. The organization had already converted the majority of its prospects into monthly donors, so to continue to meet its fundraising goals, the team needed to reach beyond the core target and inspire completely new audiences to join the SickKids’ fight.


Insight and Strategy:

Dividing the target was the best way to unite them in support of SickKids. Research into core donors revealed that many “sub-groups” (like the “Lemonade Kids” and Ashley’s Angels”) naturally formed as people came together around common interests to raise money for SickKids.

To expand the foundation’s reach beyond just its current core, the agency identified other “clubs” and subcultures that brought people together around common passions. People join running clubs, they share a passion for fashion or their profession bonds them together. Instead of looking at the target as a homogenous demographic or psychographic, the team divided them into dozens of existing “sub-cultures” that would give the brand natural rally points to build a campaign and media plan around.

Armed with this insight, the agency evolved the “VS” campaign behind a new idea that asked people to join a crew and join the SickKids fight.

Execution:

Crews came to life as one “big idea,” which was executed as more than 52 sub-campaigns, uniquely targeted to specific audiences. Everything was designed around the most extensive and successful use of influencer engagement, custom video content and social integration of any “VS” campaign to date. A range of Macro (Toronto Raptor Fred VanVleet and Olympic sprinter Andre Degrasse), mid-tier and micro influencers took to their social platforms, declaring their support of SickKids and the need to build a new hospital.

Custom content went out across Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter as 52 different influencers called on everyone in their crew to join the SickKids fight. The ultimate goal was to convert influencer followers to donors. The influencer content generated conversations
and buzz that all ultimately drove to a conversion experience at Joinyourcrew.ca where people could identify and represent their “crew” by pledging their support for SickKids.

The campaign also used highly targeted print and OOH (eg. “the straight-razors” in barber shops) and a “master” video that showed all the different crews coming together and converging on the site of the future SickKids hospital.

The campaign raised $68.7 million during the campaign period, $10 million more than the same period last year. It also generated over 155,000 new donors, a 19% gain vs. the previous year. There has been a 53% increase in monthly donors since launch, delivering a lifetime value of $15.9 million. The campaign also generated $1.4 million in online donations (10% lift vs. the previous year) and social content generated 11,743,040 impressions (161% lift over the goal).

Credits

Title: SickKids VS – Crews

Agency: Cossette
Global CCO(s): Carlos Moreno, Peter Ignazi
Creative Director/CW(s): Craig McIntosh, Jinnean Barnard
Creative Director/AD(s): Jaimes Zentil, Mario Cesareo Copywriter(s): Jordan Hamer, Elijah DiGangi
Art Director(s): Spencer Dingle, Andy Ng
Agency Producer: Erica Metcalfe
Account Team: Dayna Blustein, Hillary Gonzalez, Rina McNicol, Emma Sleeper, Daniel Dolan, Melissa Levenberg, Tishan Canagasaby
Strategy: Rami Dudin, Denika Angelone, Rosie Gentile
Sr. Retoucher: Trevor Gauthier
Sr. Production Artist: Shireen Kok
Studio Director: Raquel Mullen
Print Producer: Dawn-Marie Mills

Production House: Scouts Honour
Director(s): Mark Zibert, Kevin Foley
DOP(s): Chris Mably, Kiel Milligan
Executive Producer(s): Rita Popielak, Simon Dragland
Line Producer(s): Rita Popielak, Jeff Schwartz
Editing House: The Assembly Reps
Editor(s): Steve Puhach, Mitch Finn
Animation/CG: The Vanity / SHED
Online Facility: The Vanity
Flame Artist: Naveen Srivastava
Colourist: Andrew Exworth
Photography Studio: JKReps
Photographer: Sandy Pereira
Audio House: Berkeley Inc.
Music Creative Director: Jared Kuemper
Music Licensing: Francois Lachance of Music Rights Clearance
Song: “Moonlight” by Nicholas Britell

Digital Production Company: Array of Stars

Media Company: OMD Canada
Managing Director: Jammie Ogle
Sr. Strategist: Rebecca Shrimpton

PR Company: Citizen Relations
Sr. Account Manager: Erin Banting
Sr. Account Manager: Rebecca Myers

Clients – SickKids Foundation
VP, Brand Strategy and Communications: Lori Davison, Heather Clark
Director, Integrated Brand Marketing: Kate Torrance, Noelle de la Mothe
Director, Public Relations: Sandra Chiovitti
Associate Director, Community Stakeholder Relations: Lisa Charendoff
Director, Digital Projects: Harleen Bhogal
Marketing Manager(s): Tina Tieu-Lafrance, Tanya Tucker
Coordinator, Public Relations: Madeline Salerno