Sometimes the cause marketing and social responsibility space can be a bit of a crap shoot. Alignments can be forced, causes can be fleeting, there can be a great deal of repition and box checking, and the ROI can be pretty fluid.
Then there are times when magic happens. Case in point.
A call came in from longtime successful sports business executive (and former Seattle Seahawks President and now CEO of the Seattle Kraken) Tod Leiweke to Tom Kruse, Chief Strategy Officer of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (the leading healthcare system in the Pacific Northwest), to introduce returning Seattle Seahawks star Bobby Wagner in April. Wagner, a key part of Pete Carroll’s “Legion of Boom” was coming back to the Seahawks after a season with the L.A. Rams. It was a unification Seattle’s vaunted “12th Man” was eagerly awaiting as the retooling Seahawks were riding back up th NFL chain. What came out of that meeting was much more than just a star returning to a city that he loved, with a willingness to give back to the community. That was just the start.
Bobby had lost his mother, Phenia Mae to a stroke when he was in College, and he has been an advocate for stroke awareness and care ever since. He contacted VMFH to volunteer to support stroke patients, raise funds and help teach about F.A.S.T:
- Facial Drooping
- Arm Weakness
- Speech Slurring
- Time to call 911
Playbook for Health, VMFH’s agency, was asked to learn about Bobby’s goals, and find a way to connect him with VMFH’s education and fundraising activities. Bobby shared that he was a big fan of Miles Morales Superman, and comics/animation/video games in general, and coincidentally, Playbook had recently been in touch with Hero Projects (www.heroprojects.io) who has been creating graphic novels for athletes, entertainers and corporate partners.
Playbook, Hero and VMFH pitched the idea of “FAST54” as title of a comic/graphic novel, starting Bobby as a superhero named SpaceHawk. The idea is that even though his character has superpowers – you don’t need to be a superhero to know the signs of stroke and save lives – just do what a linebacker does: Know the Signs / Read & React.
The concept’s organic creation and composition has led to a unique and holistic branded platform that has generated a range of new ideas and will continue to expand with the support of creative marketing contributors like King5 (NBC Seattle), Microsoft, and Nike.
FAST54 lives digitally on www.vmfh.org/seahawks where fans can:
- Read the Story
- Watch the Film
- Make a Donation
In addition 10,800 comics were printed to be be distributed to Fans at Seahawks Games, at VMFH Hospitals, at Seahawks Community Events (Flag Football, B&G Clubs) and are free at the Seahawks Pro Shops. The project generated coverage locally, on social media and nationally as well, with more expected as the program gains even more steam.
But wait, therer’s more. FAST54 will be honoring World Stroke Day at the Seahawks Browns game on October 29 where 2,500 comics will be distributed at their Touchdown City Pre-Game Activation. That now gives the project global legs, with the media of the NFL and its broadcasters behind it as well.
Now these projects that win and keep growing don’t happen every day. Sometimes the elements don’t align well, the timing is off, the partner doesn;t have the adequate capital to deliver the full execution…but when they do…BOOM.
Not only does the cause, the team and the brand involved win, you are saving lives and educating a new consumer in a way that is fun and easy.
