14 million Romanians were reached within 4 weeks. More than 30.000 people took the red color out of their Facebook profile pictures. This resulted in an earned media equivalent valued at 1.2 million euros.
But what’s more important is that the campaign met with a phenomenal response and impressive results to match: blood donations rose by 100% in the capital and 50% throughout the rest of the country.
And the very good news were that the government increased its budget for blood donations by 300% as a direct result of the campaign.
Creative Execution
For one week, Antena 1’s prime time news program showed its viewers how life without red felt like. News segments about victims due to lack of blood had something missing on the screen - the red component from the screen RGB colors.
Antena 1’s Observator changed from a broadcast news program to an unicast format. News were no longer presenting facts, they became personal.
People in front of the TVs understood how life without blood felt like. And, with the help of their favorite news program, they managed to change tomorrow’s news.
Insights, Strategy and the Idea
No more than 14 people out of 1000 donate blood in Romania, leaving the country at the bottom of blood donation ranking in Europe.
Thousands fall victims to lack of blood daily, but Romanians are concerned with mainly what happens in their own backyard.
If other popular TV stations act as a video tabloid, Antena 1 has always been closer to its audience. Using a social angle, Antena 1 wanted to resign from a drama presenter role and turn people from passive televiewers into active blood donors in a way no other Romanian TV brand could.
Antena 1 let Observator, its prime time news program, activate its strongest tool - the TV screen. For one week, viewers noticed that something on their screen was missing - the red component from the screen RGB colors - thus showing how life without blood feels like.