National Blood Week 2023: 'Giving Type'

Client: NHS Blood and Transplant

How do you inspire Black audiences– which are diverse, disparate and historically distrustful of medical institutions and governments– to give blood? This was our challenge when NHS Blood and Transplant tasked us with recruiting blood donors from Black communities to satisfy demand for rare blood types that can help treat sickle cell in England. To do this, we shortlisted five individuals from different Black communities all across the country who give blood on a regular basis– “Giving Types”– and partnered with Ghanaian-British street artist, Dreph, tov paint a 20 ft mural in South London’s Stockwell Hall of Fame that featured each ‘Giving Type’ blood donor, turning them into national heroes. Coverage highlights included news and case studies on Sky News, Good Morning Britain, ITV News, BBC News, Independent, Mail Online and Mirror Online totalling 11 broadcast hits, nine national hits and five national news on social media. Exclusive mural build capture featured in The Guardian’s ‘Best photos of the day’. Dreph and case study, Torkwase Holmes, interviewed by Press Association – a feature which was syndicated in over 140 regional and online news outlets. Getty photography at the mural, with Getty images featured across Time Out social media channels. Total campaign achieved 175 pieces of coverage. More importantly, the campaign drove real change in the form of new blood donors. In National Blood Week alone over 10,000 new registrations to donate blood. New registrations by Black donors up 153% compared to average– which is 38% more than in 2022.