Anything they need, SickKids has got it

In 2005, Toronto’s SickKids Foundation produced a PSA so memorable it was widely shared by fans on social sites years after the Foundation’s original copyright for usage of the music in the soundtrack had expired…!

Check it out below:

In “Lean on Me”, doctors and patients (a mix of real people and actors) sang along to the moving Bill Withers song. The JWT-produced award-winning spot was the cornerstone for a 3-month multimedia campaign that ultimately helped to raise $81 million dollars for the Hospital for Sick Children, exceeding their $70 million target.

In the years since, SickKids Foundation followed-up with campaigns (I’m a SickKids Kid) usually featuring positive messaging (Do the Happy) and centered around telling a patient story.

This month, SickKids returns to the heart-strings-tugging quality of their most famous PSA.

This time, it’s Roy Orbison:

The “You Got It” spot kicks off “Together We Will”, a campaign starting November 12th and running until the end of the year. “Together We Will” is a full marketing push with a digital ad buy, 15 and 30 seconds spots running on television, the full 60 second piece playing in local movie theatres, and outdoor/transit print placements. All of the patients, doctors and families featured in the videos are affiliated with the hospital and are also represented in the print pieces.

The most memorable patient is certainly four-year old Antonio who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. The hospital shared his behind the scenes footage of the making of the video on Facebook yesterday.

I’m becoming your go-to girl for hospital campaigns lately! What do you think, does “You Got It” have the potential to be as big as “Lean On Me”?

Comments

After first seeing this commerical, I honestly say Antonio touched my heart in such a way I can’t explain. I made my first donation yesterday but certainly not my last. God bless you all!!!