select clients.
Raising big sums of money is easiest when you change minds at the same time. The See Different campaign challenged audiences to see beyond the stereotypes of race, ethnicity, gender, and ability. The creative turned the expected on its head and generated millions, in donor support and media partnerships.
Canada and the United States were the only two countries without a women’s literary award in the English language. It was a problem. Women writers earn half the income of their male counterparts, and prizes mean better sales, royalties, and book advances. So, a group of business and literary luminaries established the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Shields was a pre-eminent writer, the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and dreamed of giving women’s voices the profile they deserve. With the help from the It’s Time campaign, the group raised millions and the inaugural prize is set to be awarded in 2023.
Recent deaths and research were proving that elephants were suffering in zoos. An imminent vote by the City of Toronto would determine their fate: a life spent languishing in captivity or prospering in an elephant sanctuary. With little time, a citizens advocacy group mobilized, garnered support from high-profile Canadians, launched an on-line petition, courted the press and used social media to influence public opinion. Today, Tinka Thonka and Iringa are at the sanctuary, their $200,000 journey kindly paid for by Bob Barker, legendary host of “The Price is Right.”
How do you get donors to support a kid’s hospital when the promise of a cure is unlikely? By reframing how society sees children with disabilities. The No Limits campaign underscored that all kids, no matter what their obstacles, can have their dreams come true. For one little girl with no legs, it meant a race through the mall. For a teen who had never moved his finger, it meant getting top score on a video game. And for a boy whose life was spent in a wheelchair, it meant playing goalie. Thanks to limitless innovations at Bloorview, there are no limits to what kids can accomplish.
When Reena wanted to build a new residence for people with disabilities, it was buoyed by a communications campaign that focused on the lives of its residents – not on the bricks and mortar for sale. A Place for Everyone made clear Reena’s philosophy: People with disabilities have a right to all the things we take for granted. To belong. To live in a home surrounded by community. And to participate in all aspects of life. The building is now complete, proof that funding flows to those organizations where a big idea captures hearts and minds.
When great things are happening, but the world doesn’t know about them, it’s time to take a look at the communications function. After a rigorous audit that analyzed Toronto’s hospital landscape and St. Joseph’s internal needs, we laid out a revitalized communications department with the right staffing, essential resources, and new reporting structures, all grounded in the hospital’s brand.
One of Canada’s top hospitals was about to launch a huge fundraising campaign. But first, it needed to tell people what it stood for. While St. Michael’s is recognized for having some of the world’s top programs, its real differentiation is its spirit of relentlessness. St. Michael’s is the hospital that never gives up, that never says never. Stop at Nothing led to $250 million raised, and unprecedented attention.
Uof T’s Division of Advancement needed communications campaigns to support fundraising programs across the university. Its faculties needed rebranding campaigns. Its executive offices need equity campaigns. And the university as a whole needed a new identity system.
Over a period of several years, we developed communications in support of a complex rebrand and the countless publications, advertisements and collateral materials that came out of it to engage students, recruit faculty and galvanize staff.
While York is well reputed for its business and law schools, its other programs weren’t being given their due. Part of the problem was a communications function in chaos: every program produced their own materials, with a wildly different look, tone, and narrative. We rebranded the university, restructured its communications and created a coherent design system for the publications, advertisements and collateral materials across faculties and corporate offices.
What do you do when Toronto’s most beloved women’s hospital no longer delivers babies? Evolve the brand and celebrate the change. Today, WCH is a North American expert in treating women’s health needs throughout their lives. Then reconceive how communications gets done with new structures, new talent, and new ways of working.