| Title | Blink - A language of love through light |
| Agency | Publicis Sapient |
| Campaign | Blink: A language of love through light |
| Advertiser | Ronald McDonald House Charities |
| Brand | Blink |
| Date of First Broadcast/Publication | 2017 / 10 |
| Business Sector | Institutional/Public Interest/Non-Profit Org. |
| Philosophy (original language) | Children with serious illnesses often travel great distances for medical treatment. For these families, Ronald McDonald House offers a home away from home, close to the child’s treatment facility. Science has proven that children heal faster when near the ones they love. The simple truth is, love heals. Whether during treatments or overnight stays at the hospital, children and parents still have to endure moments of separation. And though we know love heals, research shows expressing it is not always easy. Families struggle to show support in ways that are meaningful. With this in mind, we created Blink: an innovative physical-to-digital experience that keeps families connected. This custom-built set of devices gives families an unspoken language of love during treatment. By breaking down barriers of age, language, social complexity and discomfort, Blink simplifies the act of showing love and support during illness – innovating for a very unique human experience. Through technology and light, families remain close when they can’t physically be together. To create this experience, we leveraged the Particle IoT platform, combining an accelerometer and Electron that interprets a series of touch and gesture interactions. Finding the perfect balance of sensitivity was key in meeting the needs of children receiving treatment. When a gesture is detected via the biometric sensor, the Electron translates the message and sends it to the Particle Cloud through a 3G connection. The message is then routed to the corresponding Blink, where a set of 6 LEDs flash the message as a sequence of colored lights. We collaborated with a children’s hospital to validate that the materials and components passed hospital regulations and to ensure data connectivity would be successful. Triggered by gestures, color-coded messages are exchanged between two orbs. Shaking one Blink sends the corresponding orb a green-illuminated message saying “Hello.” Two taps send a blue “Goodnight,” and three taps send a glowing pink “I love you.” To extend Blink beyond the two connected orbs, we created an online experience that allows extended family and friends to send love directly to the child’s Blink from anywhere in the world. In early 2017, Blink was piloted with a select number of real RMHC families undergoing treatment, allowing us to collect real-time data and validate user experience goals. Our beta families reported that Blink created a sense of connectedness during treatment, which they stated as an important aspect of well-being. Lisa Mitchell, VP, Programs and Services at RMHC Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana remarked: “Blink is powerful because it bridges the distance between the house and the hospital to keep families connected. When a child is alone in the hospital, Blink lights up that darkness and brings their family into the room when they physically can’t be together. This is something we’ve never been able to do before.” With national rollout anticipated, Blink could be introduced to more than 300 houses, impacting thousands of families. Our goal is to test and evolve Blink to meet the needs of patients of all ages with physical and communication impairments. |
| Media Type | Digital |
| Length | |
| Creative Director | Amy Haiar |
| Associate Creative Director/Art Director | Joshua Koenig |
| Art Director | Stephanie Ayoob |
| Copywriter | Peter Corey |
| User Experience | Alisa Avigan |
| Motion | Jacob Minkus |
| Director Emerging Technology | Thomas John Mcleish |
| IoT Developer | Pasindu Wewegama |
| IoT Technologist | Kai Hansen |
| IoT Technologist | Atul Belur |
| Technologist | Chrissy Soulakian |
| Account Director | Megan Dills |
| Program Manager | Dan Levengood |
| Director | Duncan Wolfe |
| Production Company | Optimus |
| Editor | Tim Cahill |
| Post Production | Optimus |
| Color Correction Company | The Mill |
| Music Company / Composer | NEDMCB |