Optical Illusions Highlight Hospital's Space Needs

The British Columbia Children's Hospital Foundation teamed with Dare to create a campaign to raise funds for the construction of new hospital. The chief need was more space to take care of children and the agency used an interesting optical illusion approach to conveying the message.

o create the two broadcast spots, DARE teamed up with OPC FamilyStyle director Miles Jay to develop the illusions in-camera, without special effects. To achieve the optical illusion in the first spot, "Hospital Ward", a hospital room was created with all the walls and furniture built with skewed angles. In the "Operating Room" spot, a hallway was built that used forced perspective, an eight-foot ceilings at the far end and a five-foot ceilings in the foreground, to make it appear as though the people were getting bigger as they came towards the camera. Both sets were built in a large warehouse just outside of Toronto.

Of the concept, Dare Associate Creative Directors Addie Gillespie and Mia Thomsett said, "It wasn't until we toured the hospital that we really understood the problem. We needed to come up with a simple way to demonstrate the hospital's dire lack of space."