HFC
Bringing light to Alzheimer’s.
Finding Care Through Comedy.
Hilarity For Charity was founded in 2012 by Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen in response to news that no family ever wants to hear: Lauren’s mother Adele had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of just 55. As revered actors, comedians and storytellers, the pair gathered with friends and decided to meaningfully connect people facing this disease through comedy, hosting an annual variety show event where they could raise awareness and money for research. Within five years, Hilarity for Charity the cause became Hilarity for Charity the non-profit and a force in the brain health space focused on a three-pillar mission: care for families facing the disease, educate young people about living a brain-healthy life, and activate the next generation of Alzheimer’s advocates.
Growing With Grace.
Seven years after that first variety show, Lauren, Seth and their broader team came to Brand Knew, excited about Hilarity For Charity’s next chapter. While the non-profit had expanded significantly, connecting with family caregivers through online support groups and offering at-home respite grants, the perceived Hilarity For Charity brand no longer sufficiently represented the breadth of the organization’s influence. The public recognized the brand as a lauded annual event, but the real impact the organization was having across the community was not being fully recognized.
Brand Knew was tasked with preserving Hilarity For Charity’s authentic tone and raw comedic roots, encouraging entertainment and storytelling, while also helping to transition the brand into an elevated posture that influential partners of all types would be excited to align with; a brand that a broad swath of audiences would look to as the trusted resource on Alzheimer’s matters.
Growing With Grace.
Seven years after that first variety show, Lauren, Seth and their broader team came to Brand Knew, excited about Hilarity For Charity’s next chapter. While the non-profit had expanded significantly, connecting with family caregivers through online support groups and offering at-home respite grants, the perceived Hilarity For Charity brand no longer sufficiently represented the breadth of the organization’s influence. The public recognized the brand as a lauded annual event, but the real impact the organization was having across the community was not being fully recognized.
Brand Knew was tasked with preserving Hilarity For Charity’s authentic tone and raw comedic roots, encouraging entertainment and storytelling, while also helping to transition the brand into an elevated posture that influential partners of all types would be excited to align with; a brand that a broad swath of audiences would look to as the trusted resource on Alzheimer’s matters.
“We do this as a way for people to come together, and to sort of laugh in the face of a really sad disease.” ― Lauren Miller Rogen
But First... the County Fair.
HFC had no interest in being a run-of-the-mill nonprofit that presented itself in ‘traditional’ ways, so when thinking about its annual fundraiser, a stuffy gala was never up for consideration—a completely new spin on the annual comedy special was needed. In September 2019, the inaugural Hilarity For Charity County Fair kicked off, welcoming fans of Seth, Lauren and friends, as well as Alzheimer’s advocates, into an exhilaratingly transformed backlot in Downtown Los Angeles. Games, rides and general carnival debauchery were the order of the evening.
Familiar faces like Nick Kroll, Busy Phillips, Adam Devine and Ilana Glazer would run the carnival games, while intimately heckling fans who would welcome the roastings. Tony Hawk and his team were slated to put on an incredible performance with a 10-foot halfpipe that was brought in for the occasion, and Anderson .Paak would bring down the house as the sun set behind the enveloping buildings.
With only three weeks until the event, Brand Knew went to work, creating a targeted strategy that included a full design slate in order to attract a broad audience for what would be a one-of-a-kind fundraiser. Brand Knew conducted digital giveaways, launched talent announcements, and produced a promo video that garnered over 2M views in the weeks leading up to the event. Tickets sold out within ten days of the digital launch. On the evening of the event, a team of six was deployed onsite to capture all of the absurdity and jubilation that was promised. This was a night to remember, accumulating millions of impressions across social channels, reaching hundreds of thousands of IG story views, and increasing the follower count across platforms.
We Are HFC.
An important aspect of Brand Knew’s partnership with Hilarity for Charity was positioning this vibrant, modern non-profit as a veritable force of an organization that could stand as a pillar, along side much older and larger organizations in the space. In early 2020, the org was primed for a full rebrand, moving from Hilarity For Charity to HFC. Not only were the name and logo recalibrated, the messaging and voice of the brand were too. In conjunction, new social handles and a website domain would have to match the overall tonality, as these would present as the main identifiers for HFC’s audience.
“We Are HFC” was identified as a way to commit to the community-first approach that was so important in this transition. HFC is dignified and mature, yet still focused on the palpable youth of age and spirit that comprises its community. Brand Knew announced the brand evolution in a four-part identity series: We Are Educators; We Are Actors and Entertainers; We Are Caregivers; We Are Partners.
Care With A Call.
It wasn’t long after the brand recalibration that the organization had an opportunity to pilot a campaign under the new HFC name and branding. Amidst the uncertainty and unprecedented challenges associated with COVID-19, it was more important than ever for HFC to support its dedicated following and the broader Alzheimer’s community.
#CareWithACall was developed with the understanding that caregivers were in relative isolation every day, and even more so in this new world order. There was an interruption to the flow of usual visitors and normal activities, and associated with that, increased levels of stress and mental hardship. #CareWithACall welcomed the online community to pick up the phone and make a simple call to a loved one — a parent, a caregiver — and to share that moment with us on social media.
At a time when people were in serious need of genuine human connection, HFC reached over 560,000 people with this campaign and generated nearly 10,000 engagements, encouraging the best of the human spirit.
Springing into Action.
As people around the country were feeling alone and anxious, HFC was able to increase its online support programs and respite care grants by 55% and 34%, respectively. This additional care was the basis for the Spring fundraising campaign, “We Care”, highlighting HFC’s important ongoing support of family caregivers through these pertinent programs.
HFC’s WeCare campaign boasted a book club series and comedy-driven webinars that allowed for further participation from the HFC community in safe and relatively social environments. An increased number of Instagram Lives were broadcasted, featuring a cooking lesson with Bravo’s Chef Ben Robinson and a candid caregiving discussion with actor/comedian, Yvette Nicole Brown. Given the unique state of the world, activations naturally focused more on care and community than fundraising. Even so, the campaign raised the equivalent of nearly 3,000 hours of free in-home care or 700 hours of free online support for Alzheimer’s caregivers.
HFC’s WeCare campaign boasted a book club series and comedy-driven webinars that allowed for further participation from the HFC community in safe and relatively social environments. An increased number of Instagram Lives were broadcasted, featuring a cooking lesson with Bravo’s Chef Ben Robinson and a candid caregiving discussion with actor/comedian, Yvette Nicole Brown. Given the unique state of the world, activations naturally focused more on care and community than fundraising. Even so, the campaign raised the equivalent of nearly 3,000 hours of free in-home care or 700 hours of free online support for Alzheimer’s caregivers.
Head To Head with Seth.
A year after the great success of the County Fair, the organization couldn’t revisit this event format because of COVID, and was forced to think outside the box again. In a year in which in-person events became nearly impossible, it became time to test the bounds of the digital landscape. The 2020 annual fundraiser would now be fully virtual… a gameshow format unlike any other.
After months of strategic planning and creative development, working with teams in event production and PR, it was broadcast time. Seth hosted Head to Head with Elizabeth Banks, Anna Faris, Craig Robinson, Jim Gaffigan, and Billy Eichner as team captains.
On the heels of the overwhelming success of Head to Head in 2020, we brought the broadcast back for an encore in 2021. This year’s event featured laugh-out-loud moments with all-star celebrities like Charlize Theron, Ike Barinholtz, Jillian Bell, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Martin Starr. Our game show took a look at regrettable tattoos, poorly-stocked refrigerators, and other unmentionables, bringing in $475,000 of fundraising revenue, with the campaign reaching over half a million people.
Leveling Up: The Next FaZe of Fundraising.
Some fundraisers take months of planning and promotion, others come together spontaneously out of passion.
Brand Knew leveraged its contacts at the gaming and media company, FaZe Clan, to organize a Twitch stream featuring content creators and Seth — all to benefit HFC!
Seth stopped by the FaZe Clan offices in Hollywood to try his hand at the popular video game Rocket League and then revelled in some NSFW trivia with Twitch icons Mike Majlak and Adin Ross — we’ll let you check that part out for yourself.
In only 90 minutes, HFC had raised over $30,000! The event took the digital media world by storm and went on to garner a nomination for a YouTube Streamy Award, the Oscars of digital media. Cheers to the impact of streaming and the power of spontaneity!
Leveling Up: The Next FaZe of Fundraising.
Some fundraisers take months of planning and promotion, others come together spontaneously out of passion.
Brand Knew leveraged its contacts at the gaming and media company, FaZe Clan, to organize a Twitch stream featuring content creators and Seth — all to benefit HFC!
Seth stopped by the FaZe Clan offices in Hollywood to try his hand at the popular video game Rocket League and then revelled in some NSFW trivia with Twitch icons Mike Majlak and Adin Ross — we’ll let you check that part out for yourself.
In only 90 minutes, HFC had raised over $30,000! The event took the digital media world by storm and went on to garner a nomination for a YouTube Streamy Award, the Oscars of digital media. Cheers to the impact of streaming and the power of spontaneity!
Creating Habits of Health.
HFC is a vibrant, motivated community of educators, entertainers, caregivers and partners who all share a vision for a world in which Alzheimer’s no longer impacts our lives or the lives of our loved ones.
With Brand Knew’s creative support, HFC is poised to forge forward into a new chapter in the fight against Alzheimer’s. With a focus on caregiver education and support, and promotion of brain-healthy habits, HFC is a leading force towards a solution to slow and even possibly reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on future generations. Brand Knew is honored to be a partner in supporting this important work.
