As CHD is a disease invisible to the naked eye, we needed our target to feel the symptoms, rather than seeing it.

People unaware of CHD, simply never interacted with it. This led us to our core idea of introducing the “virtual” condition of CHD into the physical world and have people interact with those who are affected most by the limitations imposed on them.

Using Big C Supercenter stores and strategic spots around Bangkok as our vehicle, we wanted shoppers and passersby to give these children a “hug to hear their heart”, to fully grasp the severity of heart disease. We wanted people to “pick up” a child with this condition and interact with it.

In doing so, rapid and irregular heartbeats can be heard, along with other heartbreaking symptoms, which normal people overlook and take for granted. Simply because they don’t know.

Big C created The World’s First Huggable Media.

100 children with CHD waited in key areas around Bangkok. They carried a sign with a simple, relatable message: “I have big dreams, but they will never be fulfilled. Hug me to find out why.”

It was a simple but powerful message that engaged passersby and induced positive reactions. They hugged these children, listened to their heartbeats to grasp the severity of those symptoms.

But it was logistically impossible to get 6 million people to hug 100 children.

So the campaign was filmed and amplified throughout YouTube and Facebook to gain mass reach. Interviews of these children were also incorporated into the video clip to educate our target about their pain and daily struggles.

Opal Panisara, one of Thailand’s most famous TV host, whose child suffered from CHD and a host of celebrities became our spokespersons, helped spread the message throughout.

Awareness:

On a budget of only $US35,000, the campaign delivered 27,560,458 total impressions.

- 5,099,365 views on YouTube (8.1% organic)

- 4,582,775 views with 22% being organic.

The viewing completion rate for both platforms have been phenomenal. It achieved 347% and 320% above industry rates for YouTube and Facebook respectively for sponsored video clips.

Donations:

The campaign successfully drove people to the donation boxes at all of Big C’s 597 branches nationwide and people contributed their fair share.

As targeted, the campaign has managed to raise exactly 25 million baht ($US694,000) sufficient to operate on 1,250 children.

In a media culture where the majority of video clips elicit polarizing conversation and emotions, Big C was able to do the opposite, striking the right positive chord and bringing about tangible action; actions that touches the heart and changes children’s lives for the better.