There are not enough child organ donors in the UK, because no parent wants to think about the possibility of their child's death. But there are 233 children on the transplant list, waiting. And while most children are eagerly anticipating a visit from Santa at Christmas, these children are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant that will help them to see many more Christmases.
Waiting to Live
NHS Blood & Transplant campaign highlights wait for organ donations for children
Client
- NHS Blood and Transplant
Office
- London
While most children are eagerly awaiting a visit from Santa at Christmas, some children are waiting for something they want even more.
NHS Blood and Transplant has an urgent shortage of child organ donors, with consent rates lower among younger age groups at just 52%. To give these children a higher likelihood of finding a lifesaving donation, the campaign urgently needed to change attitudes and encourage families to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.
The brief was to make this invisible wait public, telling the real-life stories of children currently on the waiting list. By showing the world the wait these children face in the most unavoidable and poignant way, we could help end it and increase the likelihood of finding lifesaving donors.
233 handcrafted dolls, representing 233 real children on the transplant waiting list were placed in their local medical waiting rooms around the UK. Scanning a QR code allowed exactly the right audience to listen to the real children's stories, and hear why they should sign up to the organ donor register.
A dedicated campaign site built by the VML team www.waitingtolive.org allows people to listen to the stories of children who are waiting and sign their own children up for the NHS Organ Donor Register.
In November 2023, Waiting to Live launched across TV, VOD, cinema, OOH, social and press. On the day of launch alone, it earned 263 items of coverage, including The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, resulting in a reach of nearly 206 million.
This led to the campaign being named Work of the Week in Creative Salon in November 2023.
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Awards
London International Awards
2024
3 Silver
Gerety Awards
2024
1 Gold & 1 Silver
2024 Cannes Lions
Health & Wellness — Fundraising & Advocacy - Outdoor: Ambient
Silver Lion
2024 Cannes Lions
Direct — Not-for-Profit / Charity / Government
Bronze Lion
2024 Cannes Lions
Brand Experience & Activation — Single-Market Campaign
Bronze Lion
D&AD Awards
2024
2 Graphite Pencils, 3 Wood Pencils
The One Show
2024
2 Silver
The Clio Awards
2024
Grand Prix, 2 Gold
Press
NHS Blood & Transplant "Waiting to live"
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