The holidays can be a tough time for families if they have to spend it at a hospital rather than at home, but Sick Kids Foundation has launched a new widget for their I Believe in Sick Kids website that aims to bring people together during the holidays by allowing them to share their stories online via video.
Launched this month, the ‘I Believe in Sick Kids’ video functionality, created by Toronto’s HJC New Media, is designed to enable children, their families or anyone with an inspiring story to share it in a dedicated environment. People can upload pre-existing videos, create one on their computer using photos and music or record a brand new one with their webcam live from the site. The only creative stipulations are that the videos are to be 30-seconds long and start with the words ‘I believe in Sick Kids because…’ Once uploaded, videos can be shared on social media sites, such as YouTube and Facebook.
‘The reason we created the widget is the fact that we’re a storytelling organization, so we tell lots of stories about our patient families and the outcomes,’ Peggy Biggen, director of marketing, Sick Kids Foundation, tells MiC. ‘In fact two of our TV spots that are about specific stories, and we thought, why not create a device whereby people who have had fantastic experiences – and everybody does – can share them. We thought it would be a wonderful way to engage them.’
As Biggen notes, the website is a continuation of the current media campaign (with creative by JWT Toronto and media by New York-based Maxus Global) that started in November and runs through January. It includes TV spots on both conventional and specialty networks and in-cinema ads. The creative behind the campaign focuses on a storytelling theme, sharing first-person stories of patient experiences.
The widget is being promoted on Sick Kids online properties. The TV spots direct people to SickKidsFoundation.com.
