Rady Children’s partnered with a local economic development nonprofit to introduce our mission to a national audience through a NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – the Rady Children’s Invitational. The goal was twofold: increase awareness of Rady Children’s as a leader in pediatric healthcare and inspire generosity without competing for local hospital loyalties.
We developed a three-part series of a 30 second documentary-style spots designed to capture the courage of our patients and the dedication of our doctors, nurses, and staff—demonstrating the real impact of philanthropy. By showcasing our mission on a national stage, the series strengthened connections with existing donors, celebrating the impact of their generosity and highlighting philanthropy’s vital role in transforming children’s health. It also introduced Rady Children’s to a broader audience, positioning the hospital as a leader in specialized care and encouraging those with a personal connection to consider supporting our work.
With the tournament leading into the holiday giving season, the ads were amplified locally across broadcast TV and digital channels, reinforcing our presence in San Diego and neighboring communities while inspiring support for the life-changing work happening at Rady Children’s.
The idea for the campaign originated within Rady Children’s Foundation and Marketing teams, who saw the NCAA tournament’s national broadcast as a high-visibility platform to introduce Rady Children’s to a broader audience while reinforcing its mission of hope and healing. Our goal was to deliver a universally resonant message of support and inspiration, connecting the excitement of the tournament with the spirit of giving through “Light the Way”—the name of our holiday campaign and now, the emotional thread of this national initiative.
To bring the campaign to life, we developed a documentary-style video series that aimed to showcase the raw, unfiltered reality of pediatric health care. Each :30 spot was designed to immerse viewers in the moments that define the patient journey—fear, perseverance, healing—while highlighting the unwavering dedication of Rady Children’s doctors, nurses, and staff. These emotionally authentic vignettes balanced cinematic beauty with real-life stories, offering a window into what makes Rady Children’s extraordinary. Each story closed with an invitation to be part of something bigger—to help light the way for children and families facing their darkest days.
One of the key challenges we faced was filming in a clinical environment without disrupting hospital operations or patient care. Fortunately, Rady Children’s architects had recently created mock hospital rooms as part of a construction planning process. These rooms—designed to collect feedback from frontline staff—were windowless and empty, making them the perfect blank canvas for our production team. With the generous contribution of time from an art director, the rooms were transformed into a remarkably realistic hospital environment. Our lighting team added depth and emotion to every scene, allowing us to capture the true spirit of Rady Children’s without ever interfering with patient care happening just steps away.
This campaign stood apart by choosing inspiration over competition, storytelling over solicitation. Instead of asking viewers for support outright, we focused on what makes Rady Children’s unique—its mission, its impact, and the generosity that powers it all—creating space for new audiences to connect in a meaningful and lasting way.
The Light the Way campaign surpassed expectations, achieving measurable success across awareness, engagement, and reach. With a strategic cross of digital and broadcast media, the campaign connected with a broad audience while reinforcing Rady Children’s mission of hope and healing.
On YouTube, we reached our prospecting audience with view rates exceeding nonprofit hospital benchmarks at 61%+, and video completion rates over 70%—well above the platform average of 40–50%. On Meta, strong engagement came from local audiences, with cost-per-clicks ranging from $1.58–$2.32 and 2.7 million views. OTT performance was exceptional, with a 96.79% video completion rate—surpassing industry norms and showing a 9% improvement over the previous year.
In terms of reach, the campaign delivered more than 3.4 million impressions across YouTube and Meta and over 7.4 million through TV and streaming platforms. Bonus airtime significantly amplified our exposure—while we planned for 5.5 million impressions on linear TV, we received 6.27 million, a 114% delivery index. Stations also provided 605 bonus placements—more than triple the expected 184.
For a nonprofit hospital, results like these are more than metrics—they represent thousands of moments where people were moved by our mission. Every completed view, every bonus spot, was another chance to inspire action and build connection. Light the Way didn’t just raise awareness; it delivered lasting impact.
