SickKids launches SickKidsMoms VS HardDays Campaign for Mother's Day

Just in time for Mother’s Day, SickKids Foundation’s new SickKidsMoms VS HardDays platform launches in support of the Foundation’s Get Better Gifts program. The digital-only campaign is anchored by a 2-minute brand film directed by Mark Zibert and co-written by 10 real-life SickKids moms. 

Mother’s Day presented an opportunity for the SickKids Foundation (SKF) and Cossette team to tell a different side of the SickKids story: the impact of the journey of a critically ill child on a parent. This is a story that resonates broadly and helps keep the cause top of mind because SickKids and SickKids moms haven’t taken a break during this pandemic.

“Our brand platform is built on real stories and authenticity, and featuring real patients and families is a big part of how we tell that story. But due to COVID, for the first time in a long time, we decided to use a family of actors to portray these stories,” says Kate Torrance, VP, Brand Strategy & Communications at SickKids Foundation. “We’re grateful for the stories of these 10 busy moms who entrusted us with the raw and intimate details of their current reality. Although dramatized, their stories are real. And these stories have given us a powerful way of creating an emotional connection with new donors during the pandemic.”

In the ideation phase of the campaign, the team noticed that a growing number of SickKids mothers were using social media as an outlet to share the ups and downs of their experience of caring for their family and sick child. This insight inspired the campaign’s “day in the life” mom vlog-style videos and helped inform the team’s approach to interviewing 10 mothers of current SickKids patients, all of whom are credited as co-writers of the campaign. 

“COVID has been challenging for a lot of people, including SickKids patients and families. After seeing the videos that SickKids moms were posting on social media, we realized just how effective this format of storytelling could be and we wanted to leverage that,” says Jaimes Zentil, Executive Creative Director at Cossette. “Crafting the campaign film in the vlog style allowed us to frame this story within a context that everyone can relate to. It gives real insight into what life is really like for SickKids families right now.”

This year’s campaign is in support of Get Better Gifts, where all items purchased are donations that go towards programs and designated funds in support of The Hospital for Sick Children. Gifts purchased in donation range from promoting healing and recovery through play, to essential items the Hospital needs to provide the best care. All gifts support the SickKids vision – Healthier Children. A Better World.™