News
8 May 2012
Oxygen asks public to 'Do the Happy' with creative campaign
TORONTO—How do you design happiness?
That was a challenge faced by Oxygen Design in Toronto, when it took on creative for a campaign by SickKids Foundation to build awareness about children's health issues and the need for support to further research and patient care.
The solution: Draw a happy face, then make it relatable to all walks of life in an effort to drive people to "Do the Happy" and donate to the Toronto hospital in the process.
The campaign, which includes posters, subway ads, digital billboards, videos, and a microsite (the latter developed by Toronto's user experience design agency Jet Cooper) is based on more than 70 icons representing students, seniors, doctors, actors, hip hoppers, and even hippies.
Under each icon is an invite to visit dothehappy.com, which allows electronic donations. The public can also download their favourite face icons to use in their social media feeds.
The hospital foundation is also encouraging people to join in a number of fundraising events this month, with details available on the site.
The icons were designed in-house by Oxygen's Jackman Chiu, who also created an illustration for each of the 15 employees at the design studio (to use in their social media feeds), explained Oxygen's managing principal, Marawan El-Asfahani. "He's a very creative person, he really enjoyed working with our team on the execution," said El-Asfahani. "Jackman came up with each of our images with no input (from staff). We were pleasantly surprised with what he came up with."
But it's not just smiling faces that grab attention with the campaign, it's the words that go with them, contributed by Oxygen's creative director Alex Wigington along with Andrew Payne. For example, above an icon of a student, it reads "students turn into woohoodents", and above the hip hopper it says, "hip hoppers become hip hop hoorayers." A longer sign for subway cars reads, "subway riders become subyaaay riders."
The campaign font is Franklin Gothic, the official typeface of SickKids, said El-Asfahani, noting the blue-themed colour scheme is an extension of the SickKids identity. "There's continuity with brand we're trying to achieve here, and we're trying to borrow from the tremendous brand equity that SickKids has," he said.
The primary objective of the campaign is about happy children and all the good the hospital does."
Oxygen has worked with the hospital before, and El-Asfahani said there's a personal connection.
"The primary objective of the campaign is about happy children and all the good the hospital does," said the managing principal. "I have a personal relationship with the hospital in my family, and I know a number of people out there who have really benefited from having a world-class children's hospital in the city."
There were some ads and "wild postings" in public spaces aimed at piquing interest in April, while the campaign extends until the end of May. "I'd like to think it continues, that people won't just do the happy for May, but will have that as part of their lives," he said.
That was a challenge faced by Oxygen Design in Toronto, when it took on creative for a campaign by SickKids Foundation to build awareness about children's health issues and the need for support to further research and patient care.
The solution: Draw a happy face, then make it relatable to all walks of life in an effort to drive people to "Do the Happy" and donate to the Toronto hospital in the process.
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Some of the icons created by Oxygen for the SickKids 'Do the Happy' campaign (click image to enlarge)
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The campaign, which includes posters, subway ads, digital billboards, videos, and a microsite (the latter developed by Toronto's user experience design agency Jet Cooper) is based on more than 70 icons representing students, seniors, doctors, actors, hip hoppers, and even hippies.
Under each icon is an invite to visit dothehappy.com, which allows electronic donations. The public can also download their favourite face icons to use in their social media feeds.
The hospital foundation is also encouraging people to join in a number of fundraising events this month, with details available on the site.
The icons were designed in-house by Oxygen's Jackman Chiu, who also created an illustration for each of the 15 employees at the design studio (to use in their social media feeds), explained Oxygen's managing principal, Marawan El-Asfahani. "He's a very creative person, he really enjoyed working with our team on the execution," said El-Asfahani. "Jackman came up with each of our images with no input (from staff). We were pleasantly surprised with what he came up with."
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Jackman Chiu icon
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But it's not just smiling faces that grab attention with the campaign, it's the words that go with them, contributed by Oxygen's creative director Alex Wigington along with Andrew Payne. For example, above an icon of a student, it reads "students turn into woohoodents", and above the hip hopper it says, "hip hoppers become hip hop hoorayers." A longer sign for subway cars reads, "subway riders become subyaaay riders."
The campaign font is Franklin Gothic, the official typeface of SickKids, said El-Asfahani, noting the blue-themed colour scheme is an extension of the SickKids identity. "There's continuity with brand we're trying to achieve here, and we're trying to borrow from the tremendous brand equity that SickKids has," he said.
The primary objective of the campaign is about happy children and all the good the hospital does."
- Marawan El-Asfahani
"The primary objective of the campaign is about happy children and all the good the hospital does," said the managing principal. "I have a personal relationship with the hospital in my family, and I know a number of people out there who have really benefited from having a world-class children's hospital in the city."
There were some ads and "wild postings" in public spaces aimed at piquing interest in April, while the campaign extends until the end of May. "I'd like to think it continues, that people won't just do the happy for May, but will have that as part of their lives," he said.
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Being a designer in healthcare myself, I recognized the colours for SickKids. I did not correlate the colour blue to sadness or death whatsoever. Perhaps that was because I was familiar with the SickKids branding, but I am thinking most Torontonians would figure it out in due time. Blues of various shades and tints are used ubiquitously in healthcare identities across our region, almost to a fault. As for using blue on smiley faces, that can be argued against, but in my personal opinion the colours do help to strongly reinforce the branding.
If anything, my suggestion would be to reverse the faces (white faces on corporate blue). But someone could argue the white faces wouldn't look diverse... and so on it goes.
I do like this design. It was interesting, unique and memorable and paid tribute to the parent brand.
And I also agree that this has been an entertaining and informative read. Thanks to all !!
Why all the defensiveness against this perfectly logical suggestion? If people are giving an opinion to improve a design, they are not insulting the client or designer. We all have candid opinions and that is what a comment section is for! Not everyone has to "like" everything and when they don't, they should not be questioned as Angelo was. Professional critique is crucial part of improving every profession. That IS why you are reading the comments, right?
If I was in a village with only one girl, I'd be pretty smurfin' depressed...
Excellent comments from everyone at every level.
It doesn't matter if the little pics are blue or red or yellow, these kids need help and this is as good as any "ASK" as I've seen for a hospital request.
...and what it doesn't say is that SickKids isn't in the habit of putting tons of cash into marketing with fancy pictures but is in the business of helping kids and they need our contributions.
I don't think anyone would call 911 for caricatures of smiling faces — get real.
It is not colour theory or science, just common sense. Red would not work either as it would be viewed as angry. For the iconic happy face, a bright yellow is the only way to go.
Regardless, I agree with an earlier comment- while this effort was well-intended, it is way too close to Lotto's "Do your happy dance" -not so original and too much hype for my liking. Let's move on.
...unless you're a bank, where red is a bad thing, or a hospital, where red reminds patients and their parents about blood and then there is the connotation that red means STOP instead of GO...
@37 hit it bang on... CONTEXT is KING.
... but thank you for seeing RED as a nice runner-up..
Colour - like many design elements - is subjective and depends on context. Something people like Angelo seem to be forgetting, in this context the blue works.
The thing here is that the blue combination and the fun, smiling-faced illustrations, together provide a happy solution. Red, although sometimes linked with "happiness" would distance itself too much from SickKids branding to be a good solution.
Indeed, blue does have many variables, one of them is not "happy" that is the issue, at hand here.
A far better choice, as you suggested, might have been "red" since it also symbolizes "happy and love" see Milton Glaser's New York logo. I have nothing to do with the issue of colour theory, since this is common Scientific Knowledge. Better choices can always be made, by everyone, that's the beauty of communicating in these forums. Thank you for your input to this discussion.
You, sir, are wrong.
Yes, one attribute to blue is the feeling of depression, however, and it is a BIG "HOWEVER", the other side of the coin is much, much larger. The list includes: internationally accepted as peoples' favourite colour; associated with dependability, dignity; light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and softness; It is often associated with depth and stability. The list goes on and on.
What colour would you suggest? By using the "simple" logic that blue = depressing, it would follow that:
Red = anger
Yellow = cowardly
Green = sick
Black = evil
...and delving deeper into colour, they don't all the time – otherwise we'd all be stuck.
People, use blue to your heart's content.
Thanks for your comment -- that's the beauty of dialogue and opinion we can all learn something from. However, Science and Universal Knowledge seems to disagree with your point of view.
For those that believe that in colour psychology or marketing sales "Blue" is not, "happy or uplifting", they should go back and study their colour theory.
Excellent points and thanks for this.
What everyone must remember, even the "cons" is that these posts are a necessary professional (intellectual) dialogue. We can all teach and learn from each other's experiences, including some of the members of RGD and help improve our work and profession further. Not to mention turn Design Edge's forums into absolutely vital networks for everyone.
PS: By the way, I don't work for Nancy or Design Edge. I am genuinely interested in sharing some of my knowledge/experience and trying to tweak the very best out of everyone to also help improve our industry further. Our past work represents what we've done, our level of dialogue today represents what we will become in the future.
What is your name? Let's see your work if you want him to show his.
He could easily come on here and be anonymous (like us), but he puts his name to his candid opinions, which I happen to find very insightful. I would rather have someone participating in every post than the silence of most designers. Just because Oxygen did this, it doesn't mean it is good. They can get it wrong just like any other firm and there is nothing wrong with pointing it out. They got this one wrong.
Whenever he criticizes the RGD or work, it seems "defenders" question his credentials. Yet he has not attacked anyone personally in this discussion. Now you are trying to make it personally about him. Have some respect.
If you don't like anything but bogus "that's wonderful" remarks, then don't read the comments! But you will remain uneducated.
Angelo: please keep your comments coming as many of us appreciate them (even Design Edge as it gets more hits ;-) We do not need to see your work as proof of experience, because your words show it.
If you find no merit in my dialogue and advice that's your choice, you don't have to read it. Move on, read someone else, any one of your choice, who might help you forward with your career, but do move on.
You have the right to disagree, that's the beauty of dialogue and opinion. Besides, the comments other than this one anonymous individual who refuses to post his link, generally don't agree with you. Let's move on, to SickKids, or drop the issue.
And you are?
These are democratic dialogue posts, and exchanges of professional opinions, not show and tell at some grade school. This is an ironic request from someone who is hiding behind an anonymous post. As far as I know Design Edge has not written an article about me or my work and I am not the topic here. Get back to the topic of SickKids, if you want to learn something constructive from your peers.
Fine! Get back on topic, looking at my past working is not going to teach you anything. However, stretching your mind and honing your skills around what is "wrong and right" with this SickKids' campaign will.
Regardless, as he said, it's about dialogue and by the way, the post topic is not Angelo.
Opposing views make us all better.
I believe my "expertise" is self evident in my attitudinal comments which have evolved from over 40 years work in corporate, editorial and in advertising creative/design. Why you would have to look at my portfolio or client list in an open dialogue with your peers is perplexing.
As far as everyone's comments here go, congratulations to all, this is the type of dialogue "pro and con" you need as young or intermediate designers, to stand back and objectively look at your work. Not only is it professionally necessary but eventually, as part of your "design mantel", you will be able to serve and address your client base (and each other) with a more mature and intelligent approach to your work.
His work is probably not online as he is an older designer — who obviously has a lot of wisdom to share. You should appreciate that.
I find the pro/con discussion on here to be very insightful.
We all learn when opinions differ. No one has said anything derogatory about the campaign or disrespected Oxygen/Sickkids, only pointed out some serious flaws — which both should consider for next year. The fact is the colour should be happy for a campaign like this, let's admit it and move on. It is basic design/colour theory.
If, like #7, if you find Design Edge "commenters tend to go critical and conspiracy theorist super fast" then you haven't been on some of the U.S. forums.
Any way why are you even reading the comments if you only want opinions in your favour? Better that you look at an awards annual.
We need to get more critical in Canada to push us all to do better work.
If the SickKids brand was about happy, their name would be Children's Hospital. The sympathetic name "Sickkids" was chosen for fund raising, but what message does that send to a child when they have to stay at a place called SickKids? Not a happy one. It is not a positive name and that is their first problem. This will not be solved by some happy hype campaign about "hip hoppers becoming hip hop hoorayers" (creative writing gone bad)
As Angelo said, "learn to understand human emotions and behaviour, if you want to sell effectively" ... if you are a designer, definitely learn more about marketing before doing a campaign like this.
Don't confuse emotional selling with corporate identity. Yes SicksKids PMS is "blue" however, I think most of the comments suggest that "blue" is not an effective mood colour for the intention and positioning of this campaign and especially in this application. As a former creative director/art director with a number major multi-national ad/marketing agencies I have to agree most of these comments are justified and you can't simply sweep them away as "laughable" because your kid knows better than your peers.
If I had to have surgery I certainly wouldn't want to have my kid do it, I'd go see a professional doctor.
Secondly, saying that these cute little illustrations look anything like someone sick or dying is ludicrous — they're happy shiny faces in one of the primary colours that every kid can relate to — remember reading Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish?
On the subway home, I saw kids in strollers pointing to the posters and giggling hysterically which made the surrounding people smile and feel good.
I think you have to remember who you're marketing to, what they read and what they are surrounded by before you over-analyze colour theory.
I ask my daughter's friends what colour do they hate because it always brings up the funnest responses: Child: "I hate green!" Me: "Do you like trees and grass?" Child: "Yes." Me: "Do you really hate green if you like trees and grass?" Child: "No, I really love green."
...and please also note, for the record, I do not work for Oxygen (although I wouldn't mind working with them) nor do I currently do work for SickKids but I do think they did a smashing job with this campaign!
If they had made it yellow there would be a tonne of people critiquing that they used yellow. This is Design Edge..,,commenters tend to go critical and conspiracy theorist super fast (just look at any post about RGD to prove my point).
In closing, lighten up! The design is getting noticed by people everywhere - non designers too - and THAT is what is important. Especially when designing for a good cause!