As January draws to a close, I wonder how many people have kept their ever-hopeful New Years Resolutions? Has 2019 been THE year, or, have the January blues kicked in, and have we guiltily poured one too many glasses of wine, or concluded that Netflix instead of the mighty gym, is indeed, the best thing for our Monday nights.
Drawing on the idea that New Years Resolutions are often forgotten, or discarded, one of our amazing clients, NHS Blood and Transplant conceptualised a campaign which aimed to encourage the public to make a New Years Resolution they will keep.
Giving Blood
makes you feel amazing, it doesn’t cost a penny, it takes an hour of your time, and by doing it, you could save up to 3 lives. It's a no brainer!
To drive the campaign we hit the streets of Birmingham on a chilly December evening and filmed a series of Vox-Pops with the general public. We delivered a number of short videos which juxtaposed people on the streets talking about their New Years Resolutions; and people that need blood transfusions to stay alive, talking about theirs. Editing together the two contrasting statements created a very impactful narrative in a very short amount of time.
Alongside these interviews, we filmed some Vox Pops with blood donors, talking about the ease of giving blood, to dispel any myths or concerns the general public may have.
'Vox Pops' translates into the Latin phrase, ‘Voice of the People’ and, although often used for market research purposes, they are also very effective for raising awareness.
Instead of organising interviewee's, sourcing a filming location and scheduling time-slots for each participant, the beauty of Vox Pops is that you can be anywhere that your target audience is. A camera crew and interviewer will set up in a public area which is relevant to your topic, (as our subject-matter was New Year, we placed ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Markets). You then approach passers-by and ask if they would like to take part. This type of interview is an intercept interview. As we were in a happy environment, we were able to pull in a large number of cheerful & upbeat participants, who were excited at the prospect of being in our film.
The individuals we asked to be interviewed were in the same demographic as our target audience: 17-25 year olds. The relaxed and informal chat with our friendly presenter meant that the films were instantly relatable, they make you smile, they make you think about the importance of giving blood, and hopefully, they make you pick up the phone and make that all important appointment.
NHS Blood and Transplant launched the films on paid for social ads, racking up thousands of views and reams of positive comments & feedback.
So, if you have given in to your New Years Resolution, why not break the rules & make a February Resolution this year?
#NewFebruary #NewMe #GiveBlood
Give the best gift of all this Christmas …and make a date to donate The festive season is always a difficult time of year to maintain blood stocks, which usually dip from mid-December to early January. With the usual winter ailments doing the rounds, making it impossible for some donors to donate, we’re also competing for precious time with Christmas shopping and get-togethers with family and friends.
