McDonald’s Korea and Leo Burnett Shine a Light on Caregivers with ‘Mom’s Bed’

In South Korea, most hospitals regulate that legal guardians must accompany their sick children when they are hospitalised. This leaves hundreds of thousands of mothers living in cramped, uncomfortable conditions on tiny caregiver beds for days, weeks, months – sometimes years – on end.

 

This unique caregiving culture is taken for granted by Korean society, and the struggles faced by mothers often go neglected. McDonald's, a partner with RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities), wanted to bring attention to their hardships and highlight the need for a Ronald McDonald House in Seoul. Each Ronald McDonald House supports families with sick children by providing a home away from home, and currently, South Korea has one Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Yangsan – 388km away from Seoul where most children’s hospitals are situated.

 

Together with Leo Burnett Korea, McDonald’s Korea launched ‘Mom’s Bed’ – a campaign that shows just how cramped and uncomfortable caregiver beds are. Overnight, dozens of installations appeared in locations around Seoul, highlighting how the city’s ubiquitous tiny benches are no bigger than parents’ hospital beds. On streets, landmarks, shopping malls and at McDonald’s restaurants, the installations compare the actual size of ‘mom’s bed’ with universal bed sizes, each inscribed with a real mother’s name, while QR codes link to genuine stories to inspire change and invite donations.

 

Following a massive ‘Mom’s Bed’ installation in one of Seoul’s largest shopping malls named Goyang Starfield, influencers and ambassadors also shared photos of themselves to show how unacceptable and uncomfortable caregiver beds can be. These collective efforts have heightened social awareness regarding the Ronald McDonald House and have facilitated donations to support the construction of the second RMH in Korea.

 

With this support, plans for a second Ronald McDonald House in Seoul are being discussed to help more families with sick children.

 

“With ‘Mom’s Bed’, we wanted to raise awareness of the desperate need for a RMH in Seoul,” says Haeyeon Lee, chief marketing officer at McDonald’s Korea.

 

“Learning about the hardships faced by so many parents was an incredibly humbling experience. We hope that more parents will sleep a little easier, ready to face whatever challenges might lie ahead, as a result of this campaign,” says SooHee Yang, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Korea.