Rite Aid: Folds of Honor DreamShip

 

The Brand Challenge

Rite Aid was in the middle of navigating through an extensive brand refresh. They needed an emotional brand experience that would literally elevate the heart and soul of its brand, and lift the spirits and emotions of coworkers, partners, and consumers.  They needed something really big and something emotional, symbolic, and authentic.

The challenge was creating something that could bring to life a monumental idea. The Folds of Honor Project DreamShip was created to fill the hearts of consumers while filling the sky with color and meaning. The project literally “elevated” and complemented the Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents program.

The Folds of Honor campaign was quickly embraced and supported by partners Nestle Water, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson. Folds of Honor is a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to children and spouses of fallen or disabled service members. The creative, customization, and production challenge of the DreamShip Hot Air Balloon was our responsibly.

Our objective was to literally “wrap” the entire Hot Air Balloon like a quilt composed of hundreds of children’s drawings depicting “what they wanted to be when they grew up.” A brilliant idea that demanded brilliant execution.

 

The MOGXP Check List

• 12-month national tour including 25+ premier events honoring sacrifices made by service members
• Rite Aid was the corporate sponsor in partnership with Nestle Water, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson
• Manage all event aspects including:
• Hot air balloon production in Czech Republic. Design, Logistics, and Operations
• Children’s “What’s Your Dream” arts and crafts center to create panels for Balloon
• 3-D virtual reality videos
• National tour building awareness, collecting 7 million dollars in donations for Folds of Honor

 

The MOGXP Expertise

We’re always calm under pressure and our real-world experience empowers us to say, “yes we can” with confidence. Folds of Honor DreamShip is a prime example of our can-do spirit. The construction of the hot air balloon that would be assembled with the children’s personal drawings was unique, and a-one-of-a-kind design. We literally searched the globe for a partner who had the expertise to technically execute our vision. We found them in the Czech Republic and our team worked on-site, side-by-side, to ensure the vision was made a reality.

Unfortunately, the Folds of Honor DreamShip was highly vulnerable to weather and wind conditions. The weather is about the only thing we can’t control. Some days the “DreamShip” would not dramatically take flight but that didn’t dampen the spirits and impact of the DreamShip experience. Families, children, and veterans gathered to share personal stories of their life, hopes, and dreams. They came to connect, to share their humanity, and celebrate the resiliency of the human spirit.

 

A lesson learned . . . Stories with Soul!

We’ve learned that a big idea is more impactful when it’s built upon stories with a soul. We know when an idea is wrapped in humanity and we elevate the human connection and enable people to connect, we can impact a life for a lifetime. Never underestimate the power of being human.