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The videos were shot during the 24h Tremblant marathon ski event in December.
A stranger sends kisses to Xavier. Another wants Kassandra to know we're all here for her, because what she's going through isn't easy. A group of children sends a wish to other children they can't see, hoping that they will soon be able to have snowball fights, build forts, and go skiing.
They're a series of messages sent from the village at Mont Tremblant to 25 kids battling cancer in Montreal, via a video truck set up by Volkswagen Canada. The videos were shot during the 24h Tremblant marathon ski event in December, which raises funds for children's organizations through sponsorships of skiers who spend a day on the mountain.
While it doesn't quite have the ring of the Volkswagen brand in French, the Cabine à souhaits – also known as the Wishwagen – is helping to extend the value of the car maker's sponsorship of the fundraiser.
The campaign, designed by agency PALM + HAVAS, showcases the Wishwagen's messages (and one of its recipients, a six-year-old who seems more bothered by his girlfriend's demands for kisses than by his illness.)
Well-wishers were given the name of a specific child so they could personalize their greetings. The messages were then recorded on personalized iPods and given to 25 kids at the Charles-Bruneau centre at Sainte-Justine hospital in Montreal. The campaign also encompasses a companion website that encourages people to send more messages, even if they could not be on-site.
The online video is touching, and also helps to draw attention to the company's sponsorship – extending the event beyond 24 hours.