This month, Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon (RMHBC & Y) unveiled what they are calling the world’s first pillow fort-based fundraiser. The Fort-a-Thon took centre stage across out-of-home through billboards and TSAs, as well as digital channels, social media, and guerrilla activations.

“As a charity, RMHBC & Y didn’t have the budget of a typical campaign, so it was vitally important to leverage mediums that in combination would strike a balance between mass reach and impact, as well as the ability to approach more targeted audiences to prompt participation,” said a spokesperson for OMD, which handled the campaign’s media strategy.

“Outdoor did the heavy lifting, focusing on many of the major population centres in the province with the goal of generating awareness and reaching families. In Vancouver reach and frequency were key with over 200 TSAs throughout the city driving curiosity and allowing Fort-A-Thon to punch above its weight.”

Additionally, a fort-building kit, cleverly disguised inside a full-sized couch cushion, was sent to influencers and past donors. Select office lobbies also had their sitting areas transformed into forts in support of RMH.

Choosing to run the campaign in February was also intentional. “Historically, Family Day hasn’t been at the forefront of fundraising efforts for many charities, but Ronald McDonald House hopes to change that, redefining the holiday as a time of connection and generosity,” RMH said in a statement.

Like other ‘-thons,’ the Fort-a-Thon involved asking friends and family, neighbours and co-workers to sponsor one’s fort building efforts with a donation to RMH BC & Yukon.

“Nowadays ‘-thons’ are more about winning a race vs. supporting a cause. That’s why we set out to create a ‘thon’ that’s parallel to RMH BC & Y’s mission: raise money for a home that keeps families together, by building a home of pillows with your family,” says Pierre Chan, group CD of Cossette West, the creative agency behind the campaign.