The Jewish General Hospital Foundation and Rethink Push the Boundaries of Medicine

The Jewish General Hospital Foundation collaborated with Rethink to develop the most ambitious fundraising campaign of its history. 

The agency first focused on identifying the Jewish General Hospital’s distinct positioning compared to that of other hospitals, in order to guide the campaign’s strategic direction. One thing quickly became clear: since its founding in 1934, the hospital has proven its excellence and consistently ranks among the top hospitals in the country.

“We already know that the Jewish General Hospital boasts an excellent reputation, but we don’t always realise just how avant-garde of a hospital it is, and how its technological and scientific breakthroughs eventually extend beyond the walls of the facility to benefit the entire Quebec healthcare system,” explained Pascal Routhier, partner, head of strategy at Rethink. “They are often the first to introduce medical innovations.”

The creative angle chosen by Rethink was therefore to show potential donors the impact of their donations, to highlight all the great innovations that are taking place at the Jewish General Hospital, and to emphasise it all starts with them.

“While the hospital does receive public funding, it only partially covers our needs when it comes to pushing the boundaries of medicine,” explained Rhonda O'Gallagher, vice-president, strategic marketing and communications at the Foundation. “That’s why our donors are so important. They are the driving force behind our innovations.”

The 30-second TV spot features an actual human domino and is reversed to eventually reveal that the chain reaction originated from a donor whose donation benefited the entire hospital. 

The campaign also highlights a number of major innovations made possible with “Thanks to your donations” in out-of-home, print and digital formats, and runs on these platforms until July 29.