Wales’s Invisible Death Row

Category Motion & TV Design
Client Donate Wales
Agency / Designer Freshwater for Donate Wales

Brief

Donate Wales appointed Freshwater to devise a campaign to encourage people to join the organ donor register.

Result

The integrated campaign exceeded all its targets and was delivered within budget. Specifically: On average, over 4,092 people in Wales signed up to the organ donor register per month during the campaign, beating the target set. Huge amount of media interest generated including national print (spreads in The Sun and The Observer), national Welsh broadcast, premiere of the advert on Sky News, half-hour documentaries on S4C’s Bydd ar Bedwar and Wales this Week, sustained coverage in Welsh press, regional broadcast (BBC, Heart, Real Radio and Red Dragon and online (BBC Wales online, ITV Wales, The Sun and Observer). Campaign collateral sent to Hollyoaks featured in scenes shot in a North Wales hospital. Over 91 million opportunities to see or hear about the organ donation campaign (excludes Hollyoaks) 50% increase in website hits Sustained debate on opt-out led to the Welsh Government announcing plans for opt-out organ donation.

Solution

We devised a case study-led campaign using a variety of channels to communicate key messages most effectively within budget. The integrated campaign was a UK first for organ donation using real people on the waiting list. The creative concept evolved from an article written by a transplant patient who likened the waiting to being on “an invisible death row”. We filmed a TV advert using patients in disused police cells and took photographs to use in media relations, direct mail and the website.