This article is part of PR News' series of mini-case studies showcasing successful agency/client partnerships.
Founded more than 85 years ago, Fisher-Price was built on the belief that play is an important component of how children learn and develop. And yet over the years, the toys that the company sold came to overshadow its fundamental belief in the benefits of play. Armed with a compelling truth, Fisher-Price and Weber Shandwick teamed up to reconnect the brand with its founding mission.
After conducting research around the world, Fisher-Price and Weber Shandwick learned that regardless of country, custom or culture, all parents share the desire to give their newborn children the best possible start in life.
The partners sought to develop an emotional and groundbreaking approach to engage young parents around the world and reintroduce Fisher-Price as an essential resource to help children learn and grow through playtime.
With this in mind, the partners developed the brand’s new anthem, “Best Possible Start,” which gave rise to the “Wishes for Baby” campaign focusing on parents’ wishes for their babies at birth. Fisher-Price and Weber Shandwick set out to capture these wishes in an unscripted short film that would remind families—in an emotional and moving way—that Fisher-Price is a trusted partner in helping their children learn and grow.
Directed by award-winning documentarian Patrick Creadon, “Wishes for Baby” was filmed around the world on New Year’s Eve. The short film followed 26 families across 10 hospitals in seven countries—the U.S., Kenya, Poland, Bangladesh, Mexico, Brazil and Japan—as they welcomed some of the year’s first children into the world. Fisher-Price and Weber Shandwick captured the new parents’ emotional first wishes for their children.
The partners then engaged families worldwide to share their own wishes via the #WishesForBaby, which were brought to life with fanciful illustrations by artist Adele Enersen. After the launch of the video, the brand inspired ongoing conversation with parents through creative community management across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
The emotional, 90-second video saw 1.7 million views in 24 hours, ultimately soaring to more than 9 million and is now Fisher-Price’s top-viewed, most-shared video of all time. The video was also covered in outlets like Good Morning America, TODAY, Mashable and The Wall Street Journal, totaling 650 million additional impressions. Social media impressions from Facebook and Twitter added another 66 million to the already substantial reach of the campaign. The partners also received a PR News Platinum PR Award for their success using word of mouth to build a viral campaign.
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