Not a Blip in sick kids program awareness

From Mum’s Sauce to a Bluey-style TV show, charity initiative Hospitals United for Sick Kids has big ambitions for further growth.

Blip stars in an animated TVC for Hospitals United for Sick Kids which launches this week as part of a month long campaign for the initiative.

A national initiative to generate funds for children’s healthcare is set for “exponential growth” this year as it launches creative TV advertising and expands its partner platform.

Hospitals United for Sick Kids works in partnership with brands that donate a portion of product sales to the initiative. The funds are allocated to hospitals around the country to help improve the experience of sick children during their hospital stay, as well as helping fund treatments, technology, at-home care programs and health education.

The initiative, which started in 2019, wants to help reduce the impact and disruption hospitalisation has on children and their families, Hospitals United for Sick Kids chief executive Nicky Bowie said.

“The challenge with charities is that you’re going for the philanthropic purse, so we’ve tried to differentiate ourselves by doing a product- and service-led partnership working with national retailers and brands who give a portion of sales to the cause. This purchase-driven approach relies on the power of the collective, and by people making simple choices they can feel good about giving back without affecting their own pockets.”

Led by its advertising agency CHEP Network, Hospitals United for Sick Kids partnered with Coles to rebrand its own-label products to help generate sales. The project started with Mum’s Sauce, a Coles own-label bolognese sauce, and has since expanded to include jam, pasta, milk, dried and fresh fruit. This year it hits a record high of 158 products.

The initiative has also expanded beyond Coles own-label products with Arnott’s, Swisse, Kellogg’s, Queen Victoria Tea and Grinders Coffee Roasters all donating 50 cents from the sale of dedicated products. Retailer Lowe’s is also involved and donates $10 from sales of bucket hats.

To drive greater awareness of the initiative, CHEP has created the cartoon character Blip to provide a visual representation of the initiative. Blip has been brought to life in a short film, created by Assembly, Finch and Sonar, as well as on a range of merchandise.

Blip will also feature in a new TV campaign, which launches this week. The TV ad will be supported with in-store activity and online advertising as part of a month-long push to promote the initiative and encourage shoppers to donate money.

Ms Bowie said Blip has already helped to increase prompted awareness for the brand, which has grown from 9 per cent before its launch to 17 per cent.

“We know we’ve got this asset that can get cut-through and people will recognise it because it’s animation, it’s a character. We know that brands are seven times more likely to build awareness with a character. So we’re hoping to see those measures move significantly after this campaign.”

The ambition is to continue to expand on products and partners to enable consumers to donate from more products in their weekly shop. There are also ambitions to expand the character into entertainment channels.

“I see Blip as similar to Bluey,” CHEP chief creative officer Gavin McLeod said. “It’s more than just a marketing construct, it’s IP. If Blip only lives as a product on a shelf, it will be effective, but it’ll have a lifespan. If we can bring Blip into entertainment, as a TV show or a gaming company, we can create something that kids can engage with.

“We have created this incredible IP and the potential is enormous but we need to seize the right opportunities for it to grow.”