For over 30 years, Willen Hospice in Milton Keynes UK, has provided exemplary care for people with life limiting illnesses. The main hospice building sits alongside a pretty lake which is home to some magnificent swans. Not surprisingly, a swan has been the centrepiece of this particular Hospice’s identity for many years — dually symbolic for the graceful dignity it portrays above the surface whilst churning tirelessly beneath the surface.
We have had the pleasure of working with Willen Hospice for the last couple of years, providing pro bono marketing support. We helped craft a new vision which led to the creation of a fresh and modern look for the brand developed by our partners at Igloo Creative. This has helped lift the image of the hospice, but we felt compelled to go a bit further and help lift the soul of this special place as well … something that could really strike a chord with everyone in the community — young and old — whether they’ve lost a loved one or not. Afterall, if Willen Hospice is going to last another 30 years, this brand must fly with all its might.
Willen Hospice is a charity which receives less than a quarter of its funding from government sources. When you’re relying so heavily on donations to stay in business, you certainly need to touch the hearts in the community you serve. Having spent many years with major consumer companies, we deeply believe that a brand’s strength hinges on its ability to engage emotionally with people. Music is a powerful tool for making that happen. And if music works so well for fizzy drinks and burger chains, surely it would work for a brand like Willen Hospice that is inherently rooted in compassion and caring. So, we decided to try John’s hand at composing an original song, and for the first time, to ‘a marketing brief’. This short film, directed and produced by Megalith TV, shares the story behind the song and its debut performance.
We look forward to helping Willen Hospice be ‘always there to care’ and to seeing that wonderful swan flying in our community for many more years to come.
