NEW YORK, September 13, 2004 – The Advertising Council today joined blood banking organizations, including the Bay Area’s Blood Centers of the Pacific, to launch the first-ever national public education and awareness campaign about blood donation. Geared towards young adults, the public service advertising (PSA) initiative is designed to raise awareness about the importance of and need for blood donation to foster a new generation of lifelong blood donors.
Each year, nearly five million Americans need a life saving blood and critically low inventories nationwide frequently result in public appeals for donations. In the Bay Area, about 60 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only 4 percent does. As additional donor restrictions are implemented and the population ages, the country could lose more and more willing donors, which could cause an even greater threat to our national blood supply.
This thought-provoking new campaign was developed to catch the attention of young adults, especially 17-24 year olds, to increase awareness of the need for regular blood donation and to set the foundation for lifelong donor behavior. Created pro bono by ad agency Euro RSCG Worldwide New York, the campaign includes television, radio, outdoor and Internet advertising and directs young adults to visit a new, comprehensive Web site, www.bloodsaves.com, where they can learn more about the need for a robust blood supply and obtain information and resources to help them donate blood in their community.
According to Nora Hirschler, MD, President of Blood Centers of the Pacific, the Bay Area needs to collect more than 800 pints of blood each day to meet patients’ needs. “We have some of the latest and best medical technology and know-how here in the Bay Area, yet with that comes a need for a robust blood supply.”
Blood Centers of the Pacific encourages media across California to support this campaign by running the PSAs often to inspire young adults to become regular blood donors.
“The percentage of Americans that are eligible to donate blood, but don’t, is astounding. We need to move away from the culture of blood donation under crisis appeals because it is the blood that’s already on the shelves that helps save lives,” according to Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of The Advertising Council. “I am confident that this provocative, empowering advertising will show our nation’s young adults how easily they can save up to three lives and encourage them to become lifelong regular blood donors.”
Titled “Save the World,” the new campaign features young adults discussing the extreme lengths they have gone to try to make a difference in the world in an effort to show how donating blood is an easy way to positively and significantly make an impact. Each PSA concludes with the tagline, “Saving the world isn’t easy. Saving a life is. And just one pint of blood can save up to three lives.”
Per the Ad Council model, all of the PSAs are being distributed to more than 20,000 media outlets nationwide this week and will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.
“We know that young people today feel a certain futility in their ability to affect the world they live in, and we wanted to use that as a leverage point in advertising to show these young adults that giving blood is an easy way to make an incredibly important difference - saving lives,” said Kevin Roddy Partner, Executive Creative Director, Euro RSCG Worldwide New York.
Blood Centers of the Pacific is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides blood to 40 hospitals throughout Northern California.
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public.
Blood Centers of the Pacific
Lisa Bloch
(415) 749-6612 The Ad Council
Ellyn Fisher
(212) 984-1964
To help boost area blood supplies and to give football fans a unique way to show their team spirit, the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders are teaming up with Bay Area blood centers to host a “Battle for Blood.” This first-time event will help alleviate the summertime blood shortage and show just how many fans “bleed for their team” the week of the teams’ pre-season game against each other, Saturday, August 14th at 3Com Park.
From Friday, August 6th through Thursday, August 12th, 49ers and Raiders fans are encouraged to roll up their sleeves at blood centers throughout the Bay Area and at regional blood drives. Fans can “dedicate” their blood donation to their favorite team and be entered into a drawing to win a signed 49ers or Raiders football. The team with the most blood donations will be announced during the August 14th game.
WHAT: First-ever 49ers/Raiders “Battle for Blood”
WHEN: Friday, August 6th through Thursday, August 12th - leading up to the 49ers/Raiders game on Saturday, August 14th.
WHERE: All area blood banks, including the American Red Cross, Blood Centers of the Pacific and the Stanford Blood Center.
WHY: To give fans a unique way to support their favorite team, an opportunity to win team memorabilia and to help boost much-needed blood supplies.
HOW: After donating blood, fans can indicate which team they want their donation counted towards. Results will be tracked during the week and the team with the most blood donations in its name will be announced during the 8/14 game.
*49ers fans who aren’t able to donate blood during the 49ers/Raiders challenge are encouraged to donate Saturday, September 11th at the 49ers training facility in Santa Clara for their 5th Annual “Out For Blood” Blood Drive.
Blood Centers of the Pacific
Lisa Bloch
(415) 749-6612
American Red Cross
Sara O’Brien
(510) 594-5205
Stanford Blood Center
Mike Sage
(650) 725-4445
San Francisco/Oakland/Palo Alto/San Jose, CA January 6, 2004 — Blood banks throughout the Bay Area, including Blood Centers of the Pacific, Stanford Blood Center and the American Red Cross are asking for immediate blood donations to boost critically low blood supplies. In the aftermath of the holiday season and with many of their regular blood donors sick with the flu, blood banks are seeing near-record deficits of blood.
Worsening the situation is the fact that Bay Area blood banks have been unable to receive import shipments of blood from other regions, due to a nationwide shortage of blood.
Blood Centers of the Pacific is reporting that it is already rationing blood to the 40 hospitals they serve, with the Bay Area’s other two blood banks considering the same.
“Of particular concern at this time is our ability to support organ transplants and/or significant traumas,” said Dr. Nora Hirschler, President of Blood Centers of the Pacific. “Organ transplants can require a tremendous amount of blood and these procedures are put in jeopardy with a critical shortage like this.”
According to Mike Sage from the Stanford Blood Center, “The situation is extremely critical here. If there are any significant trauma cases, it would be difficult to supply the needed blood.”
“The fact that all blood organizations are joining in issuing this message underscores the magnitude of the situation,” said Kay Crull, CEO of the American Red Cross, Northern California Region.
All eligible donors are encouraged to call today to schedule a blood donation appointment.
Blood Centers of the Pacific
Lisa Bloch
(415) 749-6612
American Red Cross
Sara O’Brien
(510) 594-5205
Stanford Blood Center
Mike Sage
(650) 725-4445