2026 Winner

As charitable giving in Canada declined and audiences became increasingly desensitized, SickKids faced the challenge of marking its 150th anniversary in a way that would still motivate donations. Rather than focus on the institution’s milestone, the campaign reframed the moment through a more relatable lens: birthdays. While a 150-year anniversary felt distant, the idea that every child deserves to reach their next birthday was immediate and universal, shifting the focus from legacy to what’s still at stake. “The Count” moved the story from the hospital to its patients, positioning each day as part of a fight to get to that next milestone. The film blended two distinct worlds – athletic training and children’s birthdays – featuring real SickKids patients in surreal sequences that showed them training for their next birthday. The campaign generated 307M impressions, raising $776K, acquiring 5,394 one-time donors and increasing year-over-year revenue by 44%, more than double the initial target. The work turned a commemorative moment into one that generated meaningful momentum.

Credits

Client: SickKids Foundation
CMO: Heather Clark
VP, Head of Brand, Content & Communications: Kate Torrance
Director, Brand Marketing Management: Roy Gruia
Director, Public Relations & Communications: Sandra Chiovitti
Associate Director, Brand Marketing: Jessica Myers
Associate Director, Brand Strategy, Governance & Production: Tina Tieu-Lafrance
Associate Director, Public Relations: Tania Kwong
Manager, Integrated Brand Marketing: Joanna Yu
Manager, Brand Strategy, Governance & Production: Anne Hernandez
Coordinator, Brand Strategy, Governance & Production: Melody Zhang
Manager, Public Relations & Stakeholder Relations: Taylor Huff
Associate, Community Stakeholder Relations: Kylie White
Coordinator, Community Stakeholder Relations: Dymond Phillip
Agency: FCB Canada
CCO: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
EVP, Global Creative Partner: Danilo Boer
ECD: Andrew MacPhee
ACD's: Jacob Pacey, Brendan McMullen
Copywriters: Jacob Pacey, Reena Feldman
Art Directors: Brendan McMullen, Erika Jee
EVP, General Manager: Tracy Little
GAD: Rose Noble
Account Supervisor: Sophie Seidelin
Head of Corporate Communications and Reputation: Tim Welsh
Associate Director, Global Communications & Content: Emilie Sharp
CSO: Shelley Brown
VP, Strategy Director: Shelagh Hartford
VP, Broadcast Production: Sarah Michener
Senior Broadcast Producer: Tess Waisglass
Production: Iconoclast
Director: Clément Durou
Executive Producer: Charles Marie Anthonioz
Production Service: Merchant
Executive Producer: Ian Webb
Producer: Maryna Petrenko
Director of Photography: Shady Hanna
Edit: Work Editorial
Editor, Longform: Neil Smith
Cutting assistant-Longform, Editor -:60 & :30: Fatos Marishta
Producer: Victor Medina
Head of Production: Chris Delarenal
EP: Alejandra Alarcon
Managing Director: Erica Thompson
Sound by Soundtree Music
VFX and Colour by ARC Creative
Casting: Powerhouse Casting