Why Full Punch Harnessed Anger to Help Canadian Hospitals in Need of Funding
Surrey, British Columbia is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. In fact, by 2030, it’s expected to have overtaken Vancouver. It may be startling, then, to discover that Surrey is also the only city of its size - across the entire country - without an emergency department funded to treat the three leading causes of sudden death: heart attack, stroke and trauma. In fact, in spite of the immense level of talent and care available, every day, Surrey loses patients to surrounding hospitals due to its struggles to keep up with the diversity of needs and health challenges facing its growing population. This is very problematic, as it not only delays treatment times in cases where minutes can mean the difference between life and death, but it also overpopulates other hospitals that have their own regional citizens to look after.
But Surrey Hospitals Foundation (SHF) isn’t giving up without a fight. Calling upon their partners at creative agency, Full Punch, the pair worked together to issue a rallying cry to the public - encouraging them to donate and help improve the city's hospitals. Spearheading this effort is the 'Keep it in Surrey' campaign, which included a launch video directed by Cassie DeColling. Serving as an emotional plea for support, the spot depicts concerned doctors pushing an urgent care patient down a hospital hallway, before loading her into an ambulance. The doctors then look on with desperation and disappointment as the ambulance pulls away, leaving Surrey for another regional hospital. It’s emotional, and serves as a poignant reminder that sometimes, philanthropy and volunteerism are needed in order to champion equitable healthcare.
LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Full Punch founding partner and head of creative Chris Zawada, as well as SHF’s president and CEO Jane Adams, to learn more about the making of this emotional spot, as well as why this was the right approach for the urgently needed undertaking.
LBB> Where did the need for this campaign come from, and what was the initial brief?
Jane> Right now is a challenging time for hospital foundations everywhere. Coming out of the pandemic, the health system is stretched and staffing shortages are profound. But in particular, Surrey has been quite hard hit. As western Canada’s fastest growing large city, investment in lifesaving services and infrastructure has lagged behind population growth. While Surrey is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada (set to overtake Vancouver by 2030), we are one of the only hospitals in the province that is unable to treat the three leading causes of sudden death: heart attack, stroke, and third-degree trauma. Additionally, it has the lowest general practitioner to resident coverage in urban Canada. This lack of primary medicine for 600,000 people results in the busiest ER in western Canada, and extreme congestion in all areas of the hospital.
We tasked Full Punch to provide us with a campaign that differentiates our hospital and its unique challenges. We felt it was necessary for the community to know that Surrey doesn’t have all of the resources and capabilities it should. We really wanted to press on the fact that now more than ever, we need support to build the resources we need. It was no small ask.
Chris> As the second largest city in British Columbia, it’s unbelievable that Surrey hospitals lack emergency department resources to treat the three leading causes of sudden death. As such, Surrey Hospitals Foundation (SHF) approached us to create a campaign to build awareness around this startling fact, and ultimately, get the community and the government to open their wallets to help bring this much needed care to Surrey.
LBB> What was the research process like for this campaign, and what key takeaways came from it?
Chris> Facts matter, especially in the charitable sector. If you are going to ask someone to make a donation, you better have clear proof points and a motivation to act. Donors want transparency. They want to know the problem that we are trying to solve, and they especially want to know where their hard earned money is going. So for us, uncovering the right facts and articulating them in an inspiring way became the most important inputs into the development of the creative brief. When the facts for this campaign were shared with us, we were all shocked and even a bit angry. We wanted the residents of Surrey to have that same reaction, and that's what we achieved with this campaign.
LBB> Was packing an emotional punch always the approach you wanted to take, or were there other ideas in consideration? And what made this the best route for the job?
Chris> It wasn’t an option not to. When we rebranded SHF three years ago, a big part of that exercise was developing a visual language devoid of the smiley, happy people that run rampant in most charitable brands. Let’s face it - going to the hospital and dealing with illness, whether that be with immediate family or friends, is not something that puts a smile on your face. In addition, our research shows that the best way to get donors to engage is by connecting with them emotionally.
Jane> In our experience, nothing reaches the hearts and minds of our donors like a powerfully emotional story. Our brand isn’t humorous; the challenges we face are serious. It’s not enough to put a campaign out there that attracts attention. We need to drive action! This campaign strikes the right chord and has a sense of urgency necessary to motivate our community. There’s no shortage of fundraising campaigns in the market at any time vying for a share of donations. We needed a brave strategy and bold creative in order to stand out.
LBB> Showcasing a patient on a stretcher leaving the hospital for an ambulance is really hard to watch, but feels appropriate given the shock factor approach. How did this idea come to pass?
Chris> From the very beginning, we knew that in order to grab people's attention and educate them on the startling fact that their city can’t treat the three leading causes of sudden death (and to ultimately make them want to donate to this worthy cause), we needed to hit them in the gut. But how were we to communicate this complicated message in an impactful and succinct way?
We all know that scene from the movies, where the hospital doors fly open, and paramedics rush the patient into the ER where doctors await to make everything better. The unfortunate reality in Surrey is that the reverse happens daily, as patients are turned away and sent to Hospitals in Vancouver in order to receive the care they need.
LBB> The spot is directed by Cassie DeColling. What made her the perfect person for the job?
Chris> Cassie is a master at capturing honest moments celebrating the human condition through relatable struggles. That, coupled with having worked together on previous SHF campaigns meant we knew she was the right director for this spot. In fact, we didn’t reach out to anyone else.
LBB> How did you work with her to build out the look and feel of the film?
Chris> We had a rough idea of what we wanted to do with this spot, but the idea was far from being fully fleshed out. Working collaboratively with Cassie - leading up to and on the day of the shoot - and giving her the space to bring her talents and vision to the table are what really brought everything to life.
LBB> Where did you shoot, how long did it take, and do you have any anecdotes to share from production?
Chris> One thing that is great but also a challenge when working with SHF is their desire and need to ensure everything is authentic. As a result, we shot in a working hospital with real doctors. As you can imagine, this poses a mountain of challenges, as we can’t just shut down entire areas in order to capture our vision. It requires agility, quick thinking, and the foresight to pivot at a moment's notice - something that Cassie and the entire Hadron Films team excel at. In the end, it was a very long day on set, but well worth it.
LBB> What was casting like? What were you looking for, and why did you make the choices you did?
Chris> While working with real doctors can be tough logistically, thankfully, there were tons of talented doctors who wanted to lend their time to help the cause. Specifically, we’ve found that doctors are often able to tap into their own traumatic experiences with patients and pull out emotions that can only come from them. Meanwhile, for our patient, we needed a young actor who could portray a sense of uncertainty and fear. She absolutely nailed it.
LBB> Why was a dialogue-free approach right for the spot, and how did this factor into the overall sound design of the project?
Chris> The choice to only include VO for the call to action wasn’t intentional. Our original script had some dialogue which we captured on set, but once we started to put the spot together in post, we realised that the dialogue wasn’t working. We cut an alt with no dialogue and it instantly became obvious that this made the spot stronger. It adds an additional feeling of despair from the perspective of the doctors.
Additionally, with no dialogue, strong and impactful music was key in further setting the tone of the spot. That said, we had to be careful not to overshadow what the viewer is seeing on screen, but rather complement it. This was not an easy feat, but the amazing team at Hadron was able to run with and see our vision. They did a fantastic job.
LBB> The final shot of writing on the pavement is quite poignant. At what point in the process did you know you wanted to have this, and what made it the perfect closing visual?
Chris> It was two-part. For broadcast, viewers are left wondering as they watch, asking what’s happening to this patient, and why she is being taken away from the hospital. The visual of the ambulance driving away to reveal the line ‘every day, patients leave Surrey for medical care’ is a clever way to wrap it up and further reinforce the message.
In static media, we extend this visual treatment by showing the ambulance crossing the Port Mann bridge and heading towards the mountains. This is a visual that is recognisable to anyone living in Surrey. It’s a great way to clearly articulate the purpose of the campaign and create visual consistency across all media.
LBB> Do you have any memorable lessons learned from the making of this new campaign?
Chris> We were reminded that shooting in a working hospital is challenging, but also quite rewarding. This is the third campaign we’ve created for SHF where we’ve done so. While most will see this as limiting to what can be done creatively, we’ve found that the various hardships can actually lead to very creative solutions.
Jane> It takes courage to challenge the status quo. Change doesn’t happen when we’re passive, and we can’t expect people to care without a reason. This is a bold message for a hospital foundation to put into the market. But that means it’s also an important message that needs to be shared, because it affects every Surrey resident, of every age.
LBB> What has the initial response been like? Have people been donating?
Chris> Regarding donations, it's too early to tell the impact, though based on the incredible internal feedback, we know that we are striking the right chord. There’s no doubt that the foundation and medical staff are energised around the campaign.
Jane> The early indicators show very positive results. We’ve seen an increase in donations - both in the number of donors getting involved and the total funds raised. However, success isn’t only measured through funds raised. Equally important is the fact that we have received positive feedback from our hospital staff, who believe in the message. Having our peers respond so enthusiastically is the first step in influencing other stakeholders to act, and is of equal importance to funds raised from our donor community.
LBB> How does this campaign fit into the long-term plans of the Foundation?
Jane> We have a long road ahead. We need all of the stakeholders involved in the provision of healthcare in British Columbia to be active participants in devising and building the right sized health ecosystem for Surrey’s population. Our challenge requires the entire community to be unstoppable in rallying for better services. For example, over the past 20 years, even though Surrey has more children per capita than any other western Canadian city, we have experienced a decline - not a gain - in the number of paediatric beds. In fact, we have only 16 of 443 paediatric beds in the province.
We also have B.C.’s highest birth rate, but over the past 20 years, we have only gained four new maternity beds. Because we can’t meet the needs of our growing city, many patients leave Surrey for specialised services elsewhere. Our ‘Now Leaving Surrey’ campaign is just the beginning of a long fundraising effort.
LBB> What did the chance to be involved in this project mean to you?
Chris> I can speak on behalf of the entire Full Punch team in that each one of us has a personal connection to the cause. Personally, my father had a major heart attack in his early 50s which led to him having triple bypass surgery. Thankfully, the city we lived in had the means to treat him locally. Had he been in the same situation that the residents of Surrey face, I don’t think he’d be here today.
LBB> How can Canadians support the work you’re doing?
Jane> Encouraging our community to get involved and fundraising is the most effective way of influencing all stakeholders to act for a better, stronger, and healthier Surrey. The generous support of our donor community directly impacts our ability to improve our healthcare system.
Additionally, we’re in the process of working with Full Punch to extend this campaign and tell more of the stories that showcase our needs. This isn’t a one-and-done effort, and 2023 will build on 2022’s momentum. We are relentless in providing the services and infrastructure that Surrey deserves. But until then, please remember that everyone has a role to play. We invite you to use your voice and help share this message, in order to influence change.
