ITV

Tag: Fritz Gonsalves

  • St. Jude India’s gut-punch campaign puts childhood cancer’s cruel urban reality in focus

    St. Jude India’s gut-punch campaign puts childhood cancer’s cruel urban reality in focus

    Mumbai: It’s not just chemotherapy that India’s poorest children with cancer are fighting—it’s the city itself. With “Renu Vs The City”, St. Jude India ChildCare Centres, in partnership with Ogilvy Mumbai, has dropped a hard-hitting campaign that yanks the curtain back on an invisible crisis: families forced to live on footpaths while their kids undergo life-saving treatment.

    At the heart of the campaign is Renu Kadam, a young girl living on the pavement outside a Mumbai cancer hospital. The film follows her harrowing daily routine—dodging traffic, trekking miles for basic needs, and trying to stay hopeful amid the chaos. Her story isn’t fiction; it’s a chilling mirror to the thousands of real families who come to cities seeking free treatment, only to find no roof and no respite.

    St. Jude India ChildCare Centres CEO Anil Nair said, “While cancer treatment has become more accessible and affordable thanks to government schemes, many families still face the challenge of travelling long distances and finding a safe, hygienic place to stay in cities. This film, crafted by the committed teams at Ogilvy India and Hungry Films, sheds light on the struggles of the lesser privileged during treatment.”

    Ogilvy Mumbai executive creative directors, Fritz Gonsalves and Jayesh Raut added, “Working on a brand like St. Jude India ChildCare Centres is truly a privilege. The work that this organisation does is genuinely inspiring. Our sole aim is to raise awareness about the work they do and encourage donations so that the thousands of children who travel to big cities for free cancer treatment are not forced to live on the streets while undergoing treatment.”

    St. Jude’s mission is simple yet urgent: offer a safe, hygienic ‘home away from home’ to kids undergoing cancer treatment. With 45 centres across 11 cities, they provide what hospitals can’t—shelter, dignity, and peace of mind. But the need far outweighs capacity. Each year, 32,000 children require such support, and thousands still fall through the cracks.

    “Renu Vs The City” is not just a tearjerker—it’s a call to action. The film urges viewers to donate, advocate, and amplify. Because no child should have to choose between cancer treatment and a place to sleep.

  • St Jude India ChildCare Centres & Ogilvy Mumbai illuminate reality through ‘The Impossible Choice’ campaign

    St Jude India ChildCare Centres & Ogilvy Mumbai illuminate reality through ‘The Impossible Choice’ campaign

    Mumbai: Learning that your child has cancer is heartbreaking, especially for thousands of families in small villages far away from the city. These families lack access to doctors or the necessary treatment to cure cancer.

    They flock to major cities so their child can access the best charitable hospitals specialising in cancer treatment. However, once they arrive, as their child’s treatment extends from weeks to months, they often run out of money and are forced to stay on the streets, leaving their child vulnerable to other infections. Unfortunately, many families give up hope and return to their villages, abandoning their child’s treatment.

    St Jude’s India ChildCare Centres offer children with cancer and their families a free, safe, and clean place to stay in the city for the duration of their treatment. They provide holistic support and care along with accommodation, creating a ‘home away from home’ environment for families.

    With 45 centres across 11 cities in India, they currently house over 500 families every day. But thousands are still left without accommodation.

    It’s estimated that 32,000 children will require a place to stay. This overwhelming disparity between the high number of patients and scarcity of accommodation led to the film conceptualized by Ogilvy and produced and directed by Hungry Films. The film aims to raise awareness among the masses and drive donations to address this pressing issue.

    The donations go towards building accommodation in every city, so that one day, no child is forced to abandon their cancer treatment because they don’t have a place to live in the city.

    “When we got the brief for St. Jude India ChildCare Centres, we decided to avoid guilt-tripping our audience by directly showing children suffering. Instead, we wanted to tell an honest and human story, and that’s how we stumbled upon the idea of “The Impossible Choice.” A heartbreaking dilemma, if ever there was one. A big thanks to Mahesh Gharat from Hungry films for making this heart-melter, and a special shout-out to Ricardo from our team for writing this. We really hope that more people get to know about the fabulous job that the St Jude India team is doing and donate whole-heartedly for this life-saving cause”, explained Executive creative director Fritz Gonsalves and Ogilvy Mumbai group creative director Jayesh Raut.

    “It is estimated that every year, over 32,000 families with limited means travel to larger cities for their child’s cancer treatment. Many of them are forced to abandon treatment due to the lack of an affordable place to stay. This is tragic since childhood cancer has a high cure rate, provided treatment is supported by a hygienic environment and proper nutrition. This film by Ogilvy India beautifully highlights the difficulties parents face in finding an affordable place in large cities and metros for their child’s cancer treatment”, said St Jude’s India Childcare Centres CEO Anil Nair.