‘Two Little Brats for Life’ Cause Mischief in Heartwarming Ad for Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation

Created and developed by Cossette, Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation's 'Two little brats for life' is part of the financing campaign launched in 2020 to support innovation in research and pediatric healthcare. This year, the ad campaign aims to raise awareness of the Children’s and mark another stage of its evolution with a unique and touching message to attract donors. Cossette is supporting The Children’s in its mission to raise $200 million by 2026, which is one of the most ambitious financing goals in the sector.

“Healthy kids are curious and, let’s be honest, they can sometimes be a bit bratty. At The Children’s, we want to give kids the chance to be healthy enough to be mischievous again - and that’s why we continue to occupy this little brats’ space and celebrate them with the same enthusiasm as in previous years and for many more to come,” explained Renée Vézina, president of the foundation.

The new campaign’s web banners tease the audience to encourage donations, while signage shows what it's like when children have the chance to be bratty instead of sick. And the video 'Two little brats for life', directed by Benjamin Nicolas of 4ZERO1 with Mélanie Delisle of Cossette handling creative, tells a touching story.

To optimise the campaign’s impact and pique public interest, the team produced a storytelling-focused short that feels more like a movie than a traditional ad. It tells the story of two kids who love playing lighthearted tricks on their friends and family. Although one of them, Lou, is in the hospital, the friends plan their pranks via walkie-talkie. This way, Max feels like he can support his friend even though they are apart. The story takes a more dramatic turn when Lou stops answering to Max. Max becomes anxious and impatient to hear from his best friend. There’s a happy ending, however - Lou is getting better. He comes out of treatment and immediately calls Max on his walkie-talkie. The life of the two little brats can resume.

“Once again, this year’s ad spotlights the importance of the work at The Children’s. It helps us understand how donations to the foundation can directly (and indirectly) impact the lives of patients and their loved ones. This is a touching friendship story signed by Benjamin Nicolas’s distinct directorial style, which has become part of the DNA of The Children's campaigns. He surrounded himself with an outstanding team to achieve top quality work, equally in terms of cinematography, acting and editing,” said Mélanie Delisle, creative director at Cossette.