Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation: DM

Credits & Description:

Brand PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION
Entrant RPA SANTA MONICA

RPA Santa Monica, USA Entrant Company
RPA Santa Monica, USA Idea Creation

Joe Baratelli RPA Creative
Jason Sperling RPA Creative
Fabiano De Queiroz - Tatu RPA Art Director
Mike Van Linda RPA Copywriter
Kirk Williams RPA Art Director
David Fredette RPA Copywriter
Ricardo Gurgel RPA Art Director
Juarez Rodrigues RPA Art Director
Darien Campbell RPA Copywriter
Gary Paticoff RPA Production
Ryan Radley RPA Producer
Conner Gomez RPA Digital Producer
Maria Del Homme RPA Business Affairs
KK Davis RPA Business Affairs
Susan Cockrell RPA Print Production
Rebecca Mendelson RPA Account
Jane LoSasso RPA Account
Robert Velasquez RPA Media Supervisor
Caelayn edwards RPA Project Manager
Joycie Weatherby RPA Account
Tyler Schell RPA Account
Jenna Goode RPA Account
Mike Dossett RPA Digital Strategy
Tyler Sweeney RPA Digital Strategy
Britt McColl RPA Public Relations
Sara Morgan RPA Public Relations

Synopsis
A cancer diagnosis is scary for anyone, but for a child it's even scarier. They're bombarded with complex terminology and procedures that are intimidating, unfamiliar and often downright terrifying. Medical research has shown that when pediatric-cancer patients understand what's happening to them and what to expect, they feel less scared, experience less anxiety, and do much better overall. Unfortunately, there are no resources that explain cancer care in a way kids can understand.

Strategy
Already leading the way in finding a cure for childhood brain tumors, The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation needed to build on the "Care" aspect of their "Care. Cure. Thrive." mission. Our objective was to create resources that would help the kids, their parents and their caregivers by arming them with easy-to-understand information so they could better navigate the overwhelming experience of fighting cancer.

Relevancy
Kids battling cancer are not only looking for answers to important questions, they're also looking for distractions. Especially those facing extended hospital stays. These tend to be lonely stretches even with family and loved ones around. The Imaginary Friend Society film series provided both education and entertainment to these kids.

Outcome
Once launched, a survey of was conducted to quantifiably confirm that the films had the desired impact for those directly affected by pediatric cancers.

Upon seeing the videos, 96% felt that the videos help parents and caregivers talk with kids about difficult issues. 85% agreed that the videos helped kids feel less anxious and scared. 80% said the videos meet a real need and are something they would recommend to others.

Without a single media dollar spent, the campaign spread and received significant pro-bono media support. TV messaging covered 83% of the U.S., and National TV began March 2018 on Hulu.

Most importantly, leading hospitals around the country, like Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, have permanently adopted the Imaginary Friend Society film series into their in-patient entertainment network. The films have been translated into over 20 different languages and are being distributed across 4 continents.

Execution
Through a series of 22 animated short films, The Imaginary Friend Society characters explain every facet of cancer these kids face. Covering everything from "What is an MRI?" to "Returning to School" to more emotionally complicated topics like "Feeling Sad." Ultimately providing kids with a knowledge base to help them find a little bit of control and understanding in their fight against cancer.

Campaign Description
Our creative solution was to take a difficult subject matter and make it accessible for kids. To develop a resource that would both educate and entertain. So, we created a group of fun, fictional characters called The Imaginary Friend Society. Their job? To help deliver cancer-care information in a way kids can relate to. The idea itself was born from real cancer survivors who told us they had imaginary friends who helped them cope with long hospital stays.

Brief With Projected Outcomes
n/a

Audience
For 300,000 kids diagnosed with cancer each year, there's no resource that provides the answers they need. The Imaginary Friend Society series was designed to help kids better understand all aspects of cancer care. The films were adopted by the medical community and are now featured in hospitals worldwide.