Engine, together with NHS Blood and Transplant, is uniting with blood donor organisations across 21 countries to highlight an almost 30% international drop in blood donation. A number of high profile brands and organisations are backing the campaign, and Engine agencies WCRS and Trailer Park have been working together to create a brilliant new TV ad (above) featuring some of these partners, who include Microsoft, Boots, Warburton’s, Manchester City, Santander, TFL and Odeon.
The “Missing Type” campaign from the Engine group, which first ran in England and North Wales back in 2015, this year brings together 25 blood services from 21 countries covering one billion of the world’s population. They are all calling for new donors to ensure blood donation for future generations by removing As, Bs and Os from iconic brand names and locations around the world. Other major supporters include Lloyds Bank, Paddy Power and Royal Mail, who have issued a special postmark for all letters sent in the UK this week to support the campaign. PR activity is being led by MHP Communications and throughout the week As, Bs and Os, the letters of the main blood groups, will disappear in everyday and iconic locations around the globe including Australia, America, Japan, South Africa and Ireland. On top of this, patients from around the world have thanked blood donors in a moving video (below) to highlight that in a world without As, Bs and Os, they would not be here. Celebrities from around the world will also be demonstrating their support for the movement throughout the week.
Across the countries participating in the campaign there are some differences in the numbers of donors and blood groups most in demand but all share the need for more new donors. Key barriers to people donating that have been identified by services around the world include: Wider and more exotic travel, people having less time to give, lack of awareness of the process, lack of awareness about the need for more diverse blood donors, and, the old classic, fear of needles. The campaign aims to tackle these barriers head-on.
Mike Stredder, Director of Blood Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, the service that collects, tests and processes blood for hospitals across England, said: “Missing Type really captured people’s imagination last year, drawing important attention to the need for new blood donors. In just ten days of campaign activity 30,000 people registered as blood donors across England and North Wales. Don’t worry if you’ve never given blood before and don’t know what blood group you are – you find out shortly after your first donation. What’s important is that you register as a donor and book your first appointment to donate. We particularly need new A negative and O negative donors, and people willing to become dedicated platelet donors.”
NHS Blood and Transplant’s donor recruitment work, including last year’s Missing Type campaign, the introduction of a digital real time booking system, and the use of social media to recruit new donors, have led to an increasing number of people signing up and starting to donate. But new donors are needed every year to replace those who can no longer donate as well as ensure the right mix of blood groups to meet patient needs now and in the future. You can show your support for the campaign on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by dropping the letters A O and B from your name and using #MissingType.
