Children's Hospital Campaign Gets Personal

The Akron Children's Hospital , with help from Cleveland's Marcus Thomas, is running a new campaign made up of video portraits highlighting the lives of two patients staying in the hospital. Nick and Roxanne, both 15, are seen in two commercials (1, 2) as well as several other videos hosted on the hospital's site. Along with videos from many other patients, the dour aspects childhood cancer are left behind in favor of the upside: the fact life goes on, one can live with cancer and one cab even beat cancer.

Focusing on the fact teens have a better chance of surviving cancer when treated in a children's hospital, the campaign aims at reaching women 18-49 and steers clear of obvious branding and clinical claims. It's more of the warm, fuzzy, happy approach. And why not? Cancer sucks. We all know that. We don't need to be told that. We need encouragement and positive thinking and that's what this campaign focuses on.

Two additional spots will roll out in June as well as other videos.