RPA and Tool Create Imaginary Friends for Hospital Kids

To support The Pediatric Brain Tumour Foundation and help kids with tumours understand the steps behind cancer recovery, Tool of NA and RPA created an AR app enabling a crew of imaginary friends to be available for pep talks on demand.

by Olivia Atkins on 22^nd May 2018

A kid in hospital is a sight for sore eyes yet RPA and Tool of North America have created an imaginative campaign to benefit child patients and help them fill the hours in between treatments with some friendly faces.

Launched to support the work of The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, a charitable organisation that helps children with brain tumours, the Imaginary Friends Society campaign uses augmented reality to create a cast of characters who can join them in the process and hopefully, make it a little less scary.

Inspired by various kids' imaginations, the Imaginary Friends also appear in 20 animated short films that children can watch and learn about the different stages. The films simplify cancer and help kids to understand what exactly is going on in their bodies.

The app allowed kids to transport their imaginary friends to their bedside especially when they needed a confidence boost or additional emotional support during treatment stages.

To find out more about the project visit Imaginary Friends Society and don't forget to upload a picture of your imaginary friend. It could be turned into a real life companion for kids going through treatment.