Make-A-Wish Australia launches online platform ‘The Wish Effect’ via Leo Burnett Melbourne

In an effort to raise donations for the hundreds of seriously-ill children waiting for their wishes to be granted around Australia, Make-A-Wish has launched a powerful new online platform via Leo Burnett Melbourne.

Entitled ‘The Wish Effect’, it uses social media to demonstrate the huge effect people can have on the lives of sick kids, not just by donating, but by sharing the initiative.

Visit the campaign website here.

When people visit thewisheffect.com.au, they’re met with an experience that demonstrates the effect their contribution can have, and also the total effect when they inspire others to do the same. They’ll see their Wish Effect grow and grow as they encourage more and more people to get on board.

Says Luc Wiesman, head of digital at Leo Burnett Melbourne: “We have created a digital experience that illustrates the positive effect social networks have in generating and amplifying donations that grant wishes for sick children. The more friends who donate, the greater your Wish Effect grows. We’re really proud of this first for Make-A-Wish Australia.”

The self-sustaining digital idea was designed and built in-house by the Leo Burnett team, and utilizes complete Facebook integration, HTML5 and parallax design to tell the Make-A-Wish story.

Says Kellie Johnston, general manager marketing, fundraising & communications at Make-A-Wish Australia: “Make-A-Wish Australia has benefited significantly from Leo Burnett’s expertise in delivering digital solutions to enhance our marketing and fundraising.  The innovative digital experience underpinning The Wish Effect enables us to reach new audiences and engage them in a simple but compelling way. This is an exciting step forward for Make-A-Wish globally and we eventually hope that our international affiliates will use it to enhance wish granting in their respective countries.”

Says Jason Williams, ECD, Leo Burnett Melbourne: “It’s no secret that people are more powerful when they work together, so our goal was to create a platform that encouraged people to do so. Instead of just asking people to donate, we invite them to share – to let the world know that they’ve contributed, and hopefully inspire others to do so in the process.”

Only three days after launch, and with limited supporting media yet in play, The Wish Effect has already raised more than $6,000 in donations and recruited more than 500 new supporters. For so many children around the country this is a huge step forward, and the campaign invites everybody to participate to help Make-A-Wish reach their goal of granting a wish for every child with a life-threatening medical condition.