Broken Heart Love Affair’s fund-raising commercial for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is based in a real story. But not in the usual fund-raising-awareness way. It’s not a usual fund-raising-awareness commercial.
It begins with a patient beginning to run through the hospital and out onto the street. Brandon Throop, diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2022, underwent innovative treatment at The Princess Margaret. Despite the toll it took on his body, the lifelong runner set a new goal, to run the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a hospital gown. In the process, he raised more than US$120,000 for the Foundation.
The campaign’s 30-second spot celebrates the advancements being made at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, made possible by the shared determination of researchers, care teams, and donors.
Narrated by Throop and set to Seven Nation Army performed by Ely Eira, the spot uses visual storytelling and a light-driven aesthetic to signal a shift in tone, away from fear and toward optimism.
“With every breakthrough, we move closer to a world free from the fear of cancer,” statedMelanie Johnston, chief marketing officer at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. “This new chapter in the Carry The Fire campaign celebrates the momentum we’re building — and encourages people to join us in accelerating it.”
The television campaign is supported by out-of-home and digital creative that spotlight tangible proof points of the progress made possible by The Princess Margaret. Bright, optimistic headlines such as “A HA!” “BRIGHTER” and “EARLIER” lead into facts such as the development of a liquid biopsy that detects cancer earlier, the fact that they discovered stem cells paving the way for bone marrow transplants, and The Princess Margaret’s distinction as the only hospital in Canada treating all 200+ types of cancer.
“Brandon’s story is the perfect expression and hits at the heart of the Carry The Fire platform,” commented Todd Mackie, partner & chief creative officer, Broken Heart Love Affair. “He carries the fire for all those facing Cancer. What he has endured, overcome and accomplished is inspirational and telling his story was a privilege.”
The campaign launched on October 20 and will run across Ontario through year-end, with a media plan by Havas Media Canada. Channels include broadcast, cinema, streaming, digital and connected TV, digital and traditional out-of-home, social, and print. Seasonal donation moments such as Daylight Savings and Giving Tuesday will be supported with contextual creative across platforms to drive awareness and donations.
Credits:
Client: The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
Chief Marketing Officer: Melanie Johnston
Associate Vice President Marketing, Brand & Giving: Karen Ming-Sun
Creative Director: Mark Rawlinson
Marketing Manager: Emma Tushinski
Senior Marketing Coordinator, Brand & Digital: Ashley Mahase
Agency: Broken Heart Love Affair
Partners, Chief Creative Officers: Todd Mackie, Carlos Moreno, Denise Rossetto
Partner, Chief Strategy Officer: Jay Chaney
SVP, Strategy: Kristy Pleckaitis
Creative Director: Dan Bache, Andrew Bradley, Kara Wark
Art Director: Dan Bache, Kara Wark
Copywriter: Andrew Bradley
SVP, Senior Business Lead: Melissa Tobenstein
Group Account Directors: Maegan Thomas, Jules Sylvestre
Account Supervisor, Brand Lead: Sweetha Mahendran
SVP, Executive Producer: Erica Metcalfe
Senior Producer: Ann Caverly
Producer: Alexandra Kotschorek
Designer & MAC Artist: Neil Watson
Production Company: Felon
Executive Producer & Managing Director: Sasha Bevka
Executive Producer: Spencer Houghton
Director: King She
Director of Photography: Andrey Nikolaev
Line Producer: Amy Prickett
Production Designer: Flora Yin
Costume Designer: Vanessa Popoli
Editorial Company: Outsider Editorial
Executive Producers: Kristina Anzlinger, Kayan Choi
Editor: Chris Murphy
Assistant Editor: Malavika Anupraj
Producer: Kelsey Dale-McGrath
Colour, VFX & Finishing: The Vanity
Colourist: Andrew Exworth
Executive Producer: Katie Methot & Stephanie Pennington
Lead VFX Artist: Naveen Srivastava
VFX Artists: Michael Medeiros, Noah Matikainen, Adam Silcox-Vanwyk, Greg Avery, Scott Olthoff, Andrew Farlow
Audio House: TA2 Sound+Music
Audio Director: Steve Gadsden
Voice Director: Andrew Bradley
Music Supervisor/Director of Licensing: Christine Leslie
Track: Seven Nation Army performed by Ely Eira
Executive Producer: Dana Gadsden
Engineers: Andrew Fumerton & Ken Lo
Sound Design: TA2 – Tae Sax & Ken Lo
Voice Over: Brandon Throop
Music by Human
Managing Director & Global Executive Producer: James Dean Wells
Music Producer: Nicole Riolo
Composer: Seth Fruiterman
Mixed by Post Human
Post Producer: Rob Suchecki
Sound Design and Mix: Justin Sloan
Media Agency: Havas Media Canada
VP, Client Experience: Kiera Yeates
Manager, Strategy: Raghav Budhraja
Coordinator, Mx Planning: Sara Dhume
