NHS Blood and Transplant is spotlighting the vital importance of organ donation through a wide-ranging new partnership with Heart radio, coinciding with Organ Donation Week 2023.
Developed by creative agency Havas London, the week-long activation will run through to 24 September and will aim to drive organ registrations by showing how such a simple process can save up to nine lives.
With 7,000 people currently awaiting an organ transplant in the UK, the campaign will look to place a different organ in the spotlight each day through bespoke branding on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, who will explain “This Organ Donation Week, we’re not just Heart. We’re supporting all the other organs that can be donated”.
With media planning and buying handled by Global, the creative will run across radio, online and out-of-home, with social media content on Heart and NHS channels amplifying on-air content to encourage sign-ups to the NHS Organ Donor Register.
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A series of special ads will also champion individual organs to communicate how donations of any organ are crucial, whilst organ donors and the recipients of their loved one’s organs will share their stories to highlight the tangible human impact.
“This Organ Donation Week we’re urging everyone to confirm their support for organ donation on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Families will still always be consulted before organ donation goes ahead and we know that 9 out of 10 families will agree to support organ donation if their loved one has confirmed their decision to donate in this way,” NHS Blood and Transplant director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation, Anthony Clarkson said.
“It is fantastic to come together and work with the team at Heart to spread our message out to the millions of people tuning in to the station every day. The more people who make their decision known on the NHS Organ Donor Register, the more families we hope will support that decision and the more lives will be saved.”
Heart presenter Anna Whitehouse has additionally recorded a bonus episode of her podcast, in which she interviews Eunice Booker, whose daughter was able to save the lives of six people after losing her own in a car accident at the age of 26.
The campaign follows on from ‘The Giving Type’ launched earlier this summer featuring Michael Dapaah, which helped drive a staggering 582% increase in registrations.
Havas London chief creative officer, Vicki Maguire added: “We’re disrupting the daily lives of nearly 5 million people to draw their attention to organ donation. For one week only it’s not just heart they’re listening to, it’s a heartfelt ask to confirm their support for donation on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Please do it. On a personal level, I know how much this means.’’
