This year, we took a risk in actually showing the kids of CHAM—and making them the focal point of our campaign. But we believed that there was undeniable power in directly showing how kids can be transformed by the power of play and therapy—even in a hospital environment.

The goal: Capture the kids at their happiest moments of play and escape during arts and music therapy sessions. In order to bring that to life, we held a photo shoot. Powered by costumes, fun accessories, and music on demand, every kid was able to do his or her own form of music and art. They became rock stars for a day. We wanted to let the personality of each child dictate the art direction, and the resulting campaign showcased the uniqueness and beauty of each child.

Making the kids the stars of the campaign required that we work around their treatment schedules. First, we worked with the families and staff at CHAM to secure participation and consent. We then coordinated to find a date and location in a safe hospital setting. The photo shoot took place at the very end of August 2015, leaving us a short window of time to roll out the full campaign before the Pharmapalooza event on November 5, 2015.

We got right to work by assigning art directors to help envision the unique personality of each and every child, and create an 18-poster series. But it didn’t end there. By the time Pharmapalooza arrived on November 5th, we’d produced promotional posters, a website, material in multiple national publications, digital banner ads, and multiple pieces of print collateral. The work spanned the US and was even viewed internationally.

For the first time, people saw exactly WHO their money was directly helping. Audience reactions were overwhelmingly positive. One donor commented, “This year's graphics were the best of all. Showing the kids in this fun way is perfect!”

This fresh and meaningful campaign revitalized people’s commitment to this cause. Not surprisingly, this was one of our most successful years yet.

Pharmapalooza reached capacity at B.B. King Blues Club in NYC, and in total, the campaign secured over 40 sponsors, including various agencies and corporate sponsors like Indeed and Seamless.

All in all, we raised almost $100,000—enough to pay the salaries of the program’s Creative Art Therapists in 2016 as well as provide extra art supplies and expand program offerings.

The campaign artwork will eventually become part of the hospital’s permanent collection, and is being unveiled at an art show to be held at CHAM later this year.