• by Larissa Faw , April 30, 2020

Make-A-Wish is shifting its 40th anniversary from a celebration to a reaffirmation of the group’s legacy that grants once-in-a-lifetime wishes to children suffering from terminal illness.

The “Wishes Need Stars Like You” kicks off with a PSA — launching on the group’s official April 29 launch date — mimicking the feel of a Disney movie by following a little girl as she rallies her neighbors to lasso a star from the sky.

The clip features current wish kids, wish alumni, volunteers and community supporters. Actor and WWE performer John Cena, the celebrity who has granted the most wishes in the group’s history, provides the voiceover. The background music featured in the spot – “A Sky Full of Stars” from Coldplay — was donated by the band and rerecorded for the PSA by Make-A-Wish alumni Sarina Haggarty.

Several versions of the PSA will be available for national TV networks to air, including a Spanish-language version. Radio ads and print elements will also start to roll out.

Additionally, pro bono AOR Team One worked with Make-A-Wish on various design elements, including a $5 glow-in-the-dark star pin available at wish.org/star. A digital version is also offered as part of a social media component to pin on social media with the hashtags, #WorldWishDay and #WishesAreWaiting.

The concept for the entire project was developed prior to the pandemic and hearkens back to a time when big productions were still in vogue. More than 200 people supported the shoot that Disney facilitated, filmed on the lifelike neighborhood set of Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall, California.

While the scope of the project was not impacted by COVID-19, leaders incorporated minor tonal adjustments since the families Wish serves aren’t “in a place where a celebration feels appropriate,” explains a Wish representative. In fact, many wishes are currently on hold, something that has never happened in the history of the organization. “We look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary in the biggest and best way possible when the time is right.”

This is the first work to come out of Make-A-Wish and Team One’s partnership, which kicked off last year. The Publicis Groupe-owned agency’s involvement included research and stakeholder interviews.