Non-Profit Variety BC Flips the Script on Disability to Unlock Futures

​Rethink has unveiled ‘Unlimit Kids,’ a new multi-year brand platform for non-profit organisation Variety, the Children’s Charity, which supports BC kids with disabilities and complex health needs. This new work signifies the largest and most significant brand work and strategic transformation undertaken by the non-profit in its 60-year history.

While BC faces a "quiet crisis"—with approximately 83,000 children with disabilities waiting up to three years for supportive care—this platform launch moves away from the "victim" tropes common in the non-profit space. Instead of focusing on physical limitations, the work highlights a systemic one: the world’s inability to see how equitable access to support is for children to reach their full potential.

The creative approach reframes the problem as a societal limit rather than a personal one, showing potential donors that their contributions do more than just provide help—they unlock a child’s future.

“Variety has been a beloved brand with deep roots in communities across BC. For the past few decades, the brand’s profile has often been linked to its flagship event, the Show of Hearts telethon,” said Shawn MacInnes, director of marketing and communications at Variety. “Launching our Unlimit Kids brand platform is our first step in strengthening our story of how we transform the lives of BC kids with disabilities and complex health needs. We want to reintroduce Variety to both our loyal supporters and new generations of BC donors who are eager to help unlimit the lives of local children in need.”

“At Variety, we believe every child deserves to belong, to be seen, and to imagine a future filled with possibility,” said Andrea Tang, CEO of Variety – the Children’s Charity of BC. “Unlimit Kids is a bold expression of that belief. It recognises that children with disabilities and complex health needs are not limited by their talents, hopes, or dreams—they are limited by barriers to access. When donors and communities come together to remove those barriers through timely therapies, life-changing equipment, and critical supports during key developmental years, we don’t just change lives—we unlimit what’s possible for families, communities, and generations to come.”

The visual elements avoided the portrayal of children with disabilities and complex health needs as victims. The visual setup and set design were directly inspired by the children's individual passions and dreams. To ensure that every child’s unlimited potential was authentically represented, production focused on three key areas: casting children with disabilities, collaborating with families on real-life scenarios, and maintaining an entirely accessible set to empower the talent.

The campaign marks the first creative work for the new brand platform launch titled ‘Unlimit Kids,’ a new platform developed in partnership with Rethink. While Variety BC’s history dates back to 1966, this platform serves as a bold reintroduction to the organisation—expressing not just what they do, but why they do it. The work launches ahead of the ‘Show of Hearts’ telethon, airing on Global BC on February 22nd. This annual British Columbia tradition brings together renowned artists and the BC community to raise vital funds for children with disabilities and complex health needs.