Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and McDonald’s celebrate the RMHC Day of Change—October 15–which commemorates the opening of the very first Ronald McDonald House in 1974. The celebration pivots on Donation Boxes that are installed in more than 33,000 McDonald’s restaurants around the world and are the largest ongoing fundraiser for the Charity.
To celebrate Day of Change and to build awareness of these Donation Boxes, RMHC turned to Cossette Chicago to remind consumers how important their spare change is when visiting McDonald’s.
The result is “Gratitude,” a 2-minute video that demonstrates how small change can make a huge difference. The video begins at a typical McDonald’s food counter, with customers ordering and paying for their meals. However, when a few coins are dropped into the RMHC Donation Box, the store goes dark, the menu boards are transformed into a wide screen, and the restaurant becomes a movie theater.
Laurie Cepkauskas appears on the screen with daughter Emily, and shares the story of her journey to repair Emily’s heart, as customers look on. Several families are featured on screen saying thank you to McDonald’s customers for contributing their change to the cause of RMHC, before the lights come up in the restaurant and the screens return to menu boards.
The video was shot with five hidden cameras at a McDonald’s restaurant.
“The stories of these families are so powerful, we knew that if we could simply allow them to be heard, the message would touch the hearts of McDonald’s customers,” said Chuck Rachford, executive creative director for Cossette Chicago. “We knew the best way to capture this would be live–to immediately connect a single donation to the family who has benefited from it.”
Client Ronald McDonald House Charities Agency Cossette Chicago Chuck Rachford, executive creative director; Swea Kannan, strategy; Cary Potterfield, producer; Casey Stern, copywriter; Stacy Randolph, art director. Production STORY Films Ky Dickens, director; Amy McIntyre, exec producer; Sydney Thomson, producer. Editorial Cutters Kathryn Hempel, editor; Patrick Casey, post producer; Emily Tolan assistant editor. Finish Flavor Chicago Audio Peter Erasmus
Ad Council, Directing Duo The Hudson Dusters Share “The Rewards” Of Adopting Teens From Foster Care
The Ad Council, partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and AdoptUSKids, launched a public service campaign, created pro bono by Edelman, which aims to inspire prospective parents to consider adopting a teen from foster care.
This centerpiece PSA titled “The Rewards”--directed by The Hudson Dusters (Michael Kuhn and Niles Roth) via Greenpoint Pictures--spotlights real adoptive families who have personally experienced the mutual benefits of adoption. This longer form PSA (and cutdown versions) begins with a touching display of openness and vulnerability as adoptive parents reflect on their adoption journeys and their initial questions and hesitations about adopting a teen. Then, in a deeply emotional turn, the adoptive parents witness their children recounting the profound rewards of adoption in their lives. The teens speak of the love they share with their parents and how the decision to become a family is reciprocal. The campaign directs viewers to the AdoptUSKids website to learn more about adopting a teen from foster care.
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