The Brave Belt – Stronger Together
Pfizer Italy
Issue 60 | January 2022
Agency
McCann Health Italy
Creative Team
Chief Creative Officer: Fabio Teodori Creative Director, Copywriter: Sarah Amatori Art Director: Pietro Gigliotti
Production Team
Digital Manager: Andrea Nosotti Production Company: Sator International Group Director: Bruno Palma Music: Danilo Caposseno
Other Credits
Client Service Director: Eleonora Morini Account Manager: Alice Morabito PR & Communication Senior Account Manager: Dania Copertino PR & Communication Account: Elena Talpo
Date
2021
Background
Every year, all over the world, 300,000 children are diagnosed with cancer. Therapies, injections, weeks in hospital: in this battle for life, often kids are not the weakest. Their parents are.
Idea
To help parents of children with pediatric cancer combat their own fear, McCann Health Italy created The Brave Belt campaign for Pfizer: the belt that makes everyone stronger.
Kids Kicking Cancer Italia, (KKC) aims to ease the pain of very sick children while empowering them to heal physically, spiritually and emotionally, using martial arts as therapy. The young patients, thanks to KKC teachings, are taught to help others struggling with illness, as well as their own parents and caregivers, how to “breathe in the light and blow out the darkness.” KKC Italia created four simple martial arts techniques, ‘breathe,’ ‘concentrate,’ ‘defend’ and ‘react,’ which were symbolically printed on a black karate belt. This belt, given by children to their parents, teaches parents how to cope with their emotions.
Results
The Brave Belt became an official support program, adopted by 25 hospitals in Italy, for parents & kids, as well as a symbol of courage for us all. The Brave Belt is now supported by the Italian Federation of Martial Arts (Fijlkam).
Their campaign shows how much strength and courage kids can teach us. The Brave Belt is not just a great message, but aims to be something concrete and impactful, something to help and prepare all of us to face the hardest struggles of life.