Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation’s latest entry into its “Carry The Fire” brand platform resonates with emotion and uses subtle visual effects to portray its message of enduring love and hope.
The new 60-second spot, created with Princess Margaret AOR Broken Heart Love Affair (BHLA), tells the story of Anthony Machado who died from a recurrence of liver cancer before getting his chance to participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Through narration, his mother Hilda details her chance meeting with Wil, a cyclist whom she met in a coffee shop, who went on to purchase Anthony’s bicycle with a promise to fundraise in his honour. Wil has participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer 14 times since.
Director Rodrigo Garcia Saiz’s documentary-style spot culminates with the picture of two bike-riding shadows on the pavement that represent Wil and his efforts to carry on Anthony’s legacy.
“This story captures the heart of what ‘Carry The Fire’ represents,” Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation CMO Melanie Johnston said in a news release. “It’s about carrying forward the dreams of those we’ve lost and fuelling the hope of those still navigating their cancer journey.”
The latest “Carry the Fire” work marks the second entry into the brand platform after January’s cinematic sci-fi spot that told the story of a husband’s tireless and expansive efforts to seek a cure for his wife.
The platform highlights messages of hope and unity for cancer patients and their loved ones and aims to build awareness for research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and for fundraising initiatives such as the Ride to Conquer Cancer, which takes place from June 7 to 8 this year.
“This spot builds on the strategic foundation of ‘Carry The Fire,’ a platform designed to show how individual stories can drive broader collective action,” Carlos Moreno, partner and CCO at BHLA, said in the release. “It shows how one story can inspire continued support for cancer research and care, helping to advance a brighter future for patients and their families. The second shadow becomes a metaphor for that progress, a reminder that every effort moves us closer to a world without the fear of cancer.”
Princess Margaret selected BHLA as its AOR in April 2023. Moreno and fellow BHLA founder Jay Chaney helped develop the much-celebrated “VS” brand platform for SickKids, which is now in the creative hands of FCB.
The latest “Carry the Fire” work launched Monday and will run to July 27 across television, digital, and social-media platforms. Havas Media Canada handled the media buy for the campaign.
