Great Ormond Street Hospital uses VR in Christmas campaign to inspire corporate support
Melanie May | 22 December 2017 | News
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity has launched a virtual reality Christmas film, as part of its seasonal fundraising campaign aimed at corporate partners and companies.
The film explores life on the ward for patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital who are receiving dialysis as part of their treatment. It shows children playing a Christmas game with a play specialist, whose role is funded by GOSH Charity, offering an insight into the children’s hospital, and the festive atmosphere its staff will create for children who are too sick to go home this Christmas.
Narrated by actor and GOSH Charity ambassador Martin Freeman, the film has been shot in 360-degree so viewers can follow, as surprise Christmas boxes are passed from child to child in the ward. The children and young people featured are treated for kidney conditions.
GOSH Charity has created a package for companies including the 360-degree film and a set of VR headsets to share with staff, clients and customers. The package also features a co-branded Christmas e-card to send to clients and a bespoke landing page on the charity’s website highlighting the company’s support and featuring their brand logo.
The charity hopes the product will offer a creative and impactful way for companies to demonstrate how they are making a difference during the festive season. It is the first time it has created a VR story as part of a fundraising appeal, working with VR production company REWIND who provided their support pro bono.
The money raised by the Christmas campaign will go towards the hospital’s most urgent needs, from research, medical equipment and the rebuilding and refurbishing of the hospital to support services for families and patients. This includes parent accommodation so parents can stay close by when their children are in hospital, and play specialists like the one featured in the film.
Jacqui Segal, Deputy Director of Corporate Partnerships at GOSH Charity added:
“We’re really excited to launch our first ever VR film, offering a heart-warming and unique insight into how the hospital makes Christmas as special as it can be for children who aren’t well enough to go home. We’re aiming to make seasonal corporate philanthropy as simple and inspiring as possible, and with the support of the business community we can raise the vital funds needed to help more families be together this Christmas.”
Martin Freeman, GOSH Charity ambassador said:
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“Christmas is a precious time for families to be together, but some children at GOSH won’t be well enough to go home. Staff at this fantastic hospital will make it as special as they can for all their patients, and watching this film really helps you feel like you are there in the moment with these brave children and young people. Having visited GOSH myself, as well as having been a patient there, it’s an honour for me to help share this story and I hope lots of companies will dig deep to support such a brilliant cause this Christmas.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.