SickKids celebrates 150 years with an emotional film about how the hospital helps kids fight for their birthdays

An emotional film from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) depicts the complex fight patients, families and hospital staff face for every child’s birthday in a campaign to celebrate the foundation’s 150th birthday. Titled “The Count,” the artful film created by FCB Canada weaves surrealist and birthday imagery with metaphors to the fight—a child getting ready to jump in the boxing ring or roaring before surgery. The short film also features a cast of more than 20 real SickKids patients and blends shots of real-life moments between patients and their families. The video ends with a series of impactful vignettes of children counting to 150 to mark SickKids’ birthday. Clément Durou from “We Are From LA” directed the spot, with the original score by Soundtree featuring audio recordings of SickKids patients themselves. “When talking about what SickKids is fighting for, especially in context of their 150th birthday, we thought there was a real clarity and tangibility to the idea that what SickKids and every patient is really fighting for is quite literally their next birthday,” said Jacob Pacey, associate creative director and copywriter at FCB Canada in a statement. “Once you start thinking about it through that lens, it opens up a new way to think about their fight,” added Brendan McMullen, associate creative director and art director at FCB Canada. The film is running across TV, OOH, social and digital platforms featuring photography from Matt Barnes and Westside Studio. As part of the campaign, FCB Canada is calling on viewers to donate $150 as a birthday gift to SickKids to help it continue its work of helping kids fight for their birthdays.

SickKids celebrates 150 years with an emotional film about how the hospital helps kids fight for their birthdays

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