St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation
We built a proposition only St. Mike’s could own.
St. Mike’s delivered exceptional care, but in a crowded healthcare fundraising market, it lacked a reason for donors to give. Rather than compete for mass awareness, we focused on the people closest to the hospital and what motivated them to give. That led us to Be Like Mike, an ownable platform that turned the hospital’s values into a call to action, unifying fundraising and communications while inviting more people to support its mission.
10M+
earned impressions on day one
4
defined core values
6M
potential ‘Mikes’
Opportunity
St. Michael’s Hospital served many but stood for little.
While the hospital is widely known – serving over 1 million patients a year – it lacked differentiation. Hospital foundations had upped their game while charitable giving was declining. St. Mike’s was getting lost.
A generous few drove most fundraising, which wasn’t sustainable long-term. But we knew if we could understand why those who know the hospital best were motivated to support, we could unlock the same in others.
Solution
Turn a culture of care into a call to action.
Through brand immersion interviews and hospital tours we unearthed that St. Mike’s embodied a kind of care that treated every person, from every walk of life, equally. Its culture is what made the hospital unique.
Be Like Mike became the articulation that these values live within all of us. The same values of those who generously donate.
A bold new brand identity made Be Like Mike unmistakable in owned, earned and paid channels. A hero film with a subtle nod to the iconic campaign followed one patient through remarkable hospital moments inspired by real St. Mike’s stories. A launch event for hospital staff, donors and patients celebrated pride for the hospital that radiated across the city.
Impact
A platform built to fuel St. Mike’s fundraising engine for the next decade.
Be Like Mike turned an internal truth into an external reason to believe. It reignited pride among staff and invited donors, patients and community to carry those values forward.
It became an enduring call to action and a standard for every initiative: Does it bring the values of Mike to life?
“I’ve been doing this for 50 years. This is a home run.”
Board member, St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation
