Rady Children's Health Champions "Stubborn Optimism" in First Brand Campaign

May. 05, 2026

At a time when many families are navigating uncertainty, Rady Children’s Health (Rady Children’s) is betting on ‘stubborn optimism’ - the conviction that hope for a child’s future is an active choice parents and caregivers make every day.

That determined mindset is at the heart of “For Every Dream They Dare to Dream,” the organization’s first multi-channel brand campaign and the first external expression of its newly unified brand platform following the merger of the parent companies of Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.

Created by independent creative agency SMALL New York and directed by Benjamin Nicolas through Sibling Rivalry, the campaign reflects a shared understanding that paediatric healthcare is not only about treating illness, but about protecting possibility. Stubborn optimism is the common thread that unites everyone who rallies around a child’s health – from parents, to clinicians, staff, community members, partners, volunteers and beyond. 

Set to a reimagined version of “A Million Dreams” from the movie The Greatest Showman, the film pairs moments of care inside the hospital with the futures children imagine for themselves — connecting what Rady Children’s makes possible today with the dreams families hold for tomorrow.

Throughout the film, the song’s lyrics take on a new meaning as each character makes them their own, weaving them into the heart of Rady Children’s mission. The story begins in the quiet of the hospital, where a young patient lying in bed envisions a joyful welcome-home party while singing: “I close my eyes, and I can see..” The scene then shifts to a father arriving in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). After a brief moment of emotion as he looks at his child, he realizes that the care surrounding his family feels as warm and reassuring as family itself. As the music builds, a montage highlights the relentless dedication of Rady Children’s medical staff: a researcher celebrates a breakthrough, a surgeon performs a delicate operation, and a nurse races to save a life. Meanwhile, young patients imagine vibrant futures. A little girl dreams of flying through the trees, while two teenagers picture themselves breaking free from the hospital walls and finding themselves on a beach at sunset. In its final moments, the film returns to the patient we first met at the opening, who brings the story to a close with the final line: "A million dreams for the world we're gonna make."

Supporting the film are a series of OOH, press and bus wraps featuring split-screen imagery that places children between two worlds: one grounded in moments of care within Rady Children's spaces, and the other in the futures they imagine for themselves, from becoming an astronaut, to performing on stage or competing on the soccer field. 

Rady Children’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Irena Boostani said:

“This campaign gave us the opportunity to define a shared voice for our new organization in a way that feels both honest and hopeful. It reflects the voices of families, care teams and community members across the regions we serve. We felt it was critical to reflect their experiences, shaped by what we heard directly from them.”

 

Luca Lorenzini, co-founder and Executive Creative Director at SMALL added:

"This campaign marks the beginning of a partnership we are truly proud of. We believe the new positioning "for every dream they dare to dream" perfectly captures the essence of Rady Children’s extraordinary mission."

 

Luca Pannese, co-founder and Executive Creative Director at SMALL added:

"The dedication we witnessed in the RCH team from day one, and their unwavering belief in protecting children's dreams, inspired every creative decision we made. Today, we are happy to share with the world the result of this beautiful partnership."

 

The campaign is the result of a nearly year-long development process, involving extensive research and stakeholder engagement across the communities served by Rady Children’s. This included feedback from parent focus groups, family advisory councils, physicians, staff, donors and teen patients; and testing multiple creative directions to understand what resonated most strongly.

“For Every Dream They Dare to Dream” will be broadcast on TV channels in Southern California, streaming/VOD, digital channels and cinema. OOH, print and bus wraps across Orange County, San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Valley counties, LA, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson.