Two cultures. One goal.
A thousand cranes of hope.

When American biopharmaceutical leader Millennium joined with Takeda, Japan's largest pharmaceutical company, a new global commitment to oncology was formed.

The Background

In Japan, an ancient legend promises that a person who folds 1,000 origami cranes, or senbazuru, will be granted a wish. Often the wish is for recovery from illness. Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company's deepest wish is to cure cancer and — through its commitment to patients — strive to make a difference in their lives.

The Interactive Movement

To express a unified mission that crosses cultures as well as continents, Cambridge BioMarketing worked with Millennium to develop the 1000 Cranes of Hope initiative. 1000 Cranes of Hope — an interactive monument located in the lobby of Millennium’s Cambridge headquarters — features a structural display suspending 1,000 handwritten wishes that have been folded into origami cranes and silver-leafed for preservation. The monument features a touchscreen kiosk that allows visitors to read wishes that have been preserved in the adjacent monument. Wishes can be searched via subject tag or chosen simply by touching a crane on-screen. Millennium and CB also worked together to launch the 1000 Cranes of Hope website. This interactive community encourages friends and family to join together in support for loved ones who have been touched by cancer.

The Results: Inspiring and Award Winning

The 1000 Cranes of Hope monument and website have served to unite and inspire employees, visitors, and the cancer community. Millennium and CB recently won two Bronze CLIO Awards at the first-ever CLIO Healthcare Awards held in November of 2009 for the 1000 Cranes of Hope monument and kiosk.