ABOUT

The Brief:
There are only 12 million bone marrow donors in the world, representing just 0.1% of the global population. However, patients suffering from life-threatening diseases like leukemia, cancer, anemia, lymphoma, and aplastic anemia often wait for up to 10 years to find a compatible donor. Many give up hope of ever finding their genetic match. The goal of this campaign was to raise awareness and facilitate the matching process by leveraging Facebook's vast social network to connect potential bone marrow donors with patients in need.

Mediums:
Digital, Social Media, Facebook Platform
This campaign leveraged Facebook’s platform to create a direct link between bone marrow donors and patients. The focus was on integrating a new feature into Facebook profiles to allow users to share their HLA (human leukocyte antigen) ID and connect with their genetic match. Through social media and digital tools, the campaign reached millions, raising awareness about the bone marrow donation shortage and providing a new way for people to make life-saving connections.

Concept:
Save a Stranger Friend
The concept was to use the power of social networks to save lives. By creating a way for Facebook users to add their HLA ID to their profiles, the campaign allowed people to search for and connect with their genetic match for bone marrow donation. The idea was simple yet powerful—turning Facebook’s vast network of friends into a platform for life-saving connections, showing how a stranger could become a literal life-saving friend.

Execution:
The campaign utilized Facebook’s vast network and integrated a new feature that allowed users to upload their HLA ID to their Facebook profiles. This integration activated a search function, using the same genetic recognition software that is used by global Bone Marrow Banks. Once a match was found, Facebook would send a friend request to confirm the compatibility of the two individuals. By combining technology with the social power of Facebook, the campaign turned millions of Facebook users into potential life-saving donors, making the search for a genetic match accessible and streamlined.