BACKGROUND: 

Blood donation saves lives. 1 in 7 people entering a hospital will need blood. Without generous blood donors, these patients would not have access to the care they need. There is no substitute for blood. While schools are out and folks enjoy summer vacations, the American Red Cross is experiencing a decline in lifesaving blood donations. This means donations are going out to the door faster than they are coming in, which can lead to a blood shortage and possibly delay essential medical care—creating a real-life nightmare for patients and their families.

IDEA: 

To help break through and attract first-time donors, we needed to do something different. One of the most exciting things about the summer is all the new movie releases. Everyone gets excited about them, especially when it comes to horror movies. And people in horror movies make lots of bad decisions, usually leading to lots of wasted blood. So, we saw an opportunity. Known for her starring role in one of the most successful horror movie franchises in history, we partnered with Neve Campbell. With her help, we created a humorous and entertaining PSA campaign that leans into typical horror movie tropes and the very predictable ways that horror movie characters tend to die. We called the PSA “A Bloody Nightmare”, not because of the scenes that we’re showing, but because when too few people give blood it can result in a real-life nightmare for patients and their families. A fact that is underscored by the important message our PSA delivers; 50% of Americans like watching blood spilled in movies, but only 3% actually donate it. Blood isn’t just for movies, it saves lives.

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