MONTREAL – Astral Media today announced a three-year partnership with the non-profit, charitable organization, Dr Clown, a therapeutic clown organization working with children and the elderly to integrate therapeutic clowning into the humanization of healthcare.
“Astral Media has been active in giving to charitable organizations in the healthcare sector for many years now; however, this is the first corporate partnership that we are undertaking that will foster an ongoing relationship between our properties, our employees and one organization in particular," said André Bureau, Astral Media’s chairman, in the press release.
"We are looking forward to making a marked difference to this organization and to helping them to communicate their fund-raising needs to the community at large."
As Dr Clown’s exclusive media partner, Astral Media will offer the organization $3 million worth of visibility over the next three years through an integrated advertising campaign that will air for free on Astral Media’s television, radio and outdoor advertising properties.
The objective of the campaign, which was created by Allard Johnson, will be to increase the visibility and notoriety of the organization in Québec. Also, over the course of the next three years, Astral Media will assist in the organization of various fund-raising initiatives.
"We selected Dr Clown after very careful consideration as it is an organization that brings a human approach to the notion of caring. Their work has a very real and tangible effect on the people they touch," added Bureau. "For children and families in hospital situations, Dr Clown alleviates the fear of the unknown, they brighten the environment, and they bring comic relief to situations that are not at all funny. In their work with the elderly in long-term care facilities, they bring a spark of life and friendship where loneliness prevails. Dr Clown is a cause that our employees identify with and it is a cause that we are proud to support."
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Astral Media," said Germaine Gibara, co-founder of Dr Clown. "This partnership will allow Dr Clown to grow and flourish as an organization. Our therapeutic clown programs are well established in the children’s hospitals and elderly residences that we have targeted, and in order to meet the additional demand for our services by expanding the scope and frequency of our activities, we need to further develop our profile with the community and donors of all sizes. By giving us visibility on their television, radio and outdoor advertising properties, Astral Media will allow us to communicate our activities to a greater number of people, thereby expanding our base for donations.”
