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McDonald’s Hong Kong has partnered with agency DDB Group Hong Kong and OMD Hong Kong to launch a short film to raise awareness of the support that Ronald McDonald House Charities Hong Kong (RMHC) provides families of terminally and chronically ill children.

While most Hong Kong people have heard of RMHC, yet a lot less are aware of its purpose and the impact the charity has brought on families of sick children. The Ronald McDonald House by RMHC, situated near a hospital, provides a “home away from home” for families of sick children, enabling them to stay close at a time they need it most.

Also known as “Home is Wherever We are Together”, the six-minute short film is produced based on real-life story and revolves around a Hong Kong family’s experience and is about healing power of togetherness. The emotional recount by the endearing younger brother offers a genuine perspective of the hardships of living with a critically ill sister. His story portrays the challenges parents face in maintaining routine and managing family dynamics, and the pain and suffering of having a critically ill sibling and child but also highlights how being able to stay together as a family helps tremendously. 

DDB Group Hong Kong told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it was a one month campaign and covered Hong Kong and Macau. Both full version and edited versions of the film will be featured in various TVCs. The video will be supported by additional initiatives by the brand aimed at further raising awareness, to be released on 28 April. The campaign hopes to raise the awareness of the importance of “family centred care” and encourage support for the charity. Donations to RMHC can be made via the McDonald’s app and in-store kiosks. 

Meanwhile, the Ronald McDonald Second House programme will enter into service near the end of this year, providing accommodation and psychosocial well-being to sick children and their families, according to its website.

Randy Lai, CEO of McDonald’s Hong Kong, said, “The authentic stories of Ronald McDonald House families are both heart-breaking and heart-warming. It is wonderful to be able to offer help to families that are often suffering the worst imaginable. With the opening of the second Ronald McDonald House at the end of this year, we will be able to bring even more families together at a time when togetherness can be the best medicine. This home away from home for the families is tangible, yet the support and family bonding they get is priceless.”

Andreas Krasser, CEO of DDB Group Hong Kong and Greater Bay, further commented, “We quickly realised with this campaign, that the most powerful way to really show the incredible benefit Ronald McDonald House provides a family, was through the many real-life stories that take place between its walls. We sincerely hope this film will not only move people but also help to generate greater support for this incredibly important charity.”

Back in January, McDonald’s Hong Kong and DDB Group HK collaborated on a global branding campaign “Raise Your Arches“, to bring together the brand’s essence of sharing delicious feel-good-moment with its place in the pop culture. 

At the heart of the brand’s global “Fan Truths” strategy, the campaign begins with the hero video adapted from the global campaign, featuring office workers using their eyebrow “arches” to invite others to join them for a bite at McDonald’s.

FOR MORE DETAILS, CONTACT:

Alana Zervos                                      

Director of Brand Marketing & Talent Experience, Omnicom Media Group Hong Kong

E-mail: [email protected]