UK blood cancer charity launches multichannel ad campaign

The Anthony Nolan charity has launched a multichannel advertising campaign in the UK to persuade more people to put themselves forward as potential bone marrow donors.

The campaign is aimed at young men, who are underrepresented on the bone marrow register, and features online adverts, a YouTube video radio spots on Xfm London, Choice FM and Spotify.

Digital advertising agency Albion worked on the video, along with the film production company Stitch That, and Total Media handled the media planning and buying.

The online adverts feature the statements “yeah, we hate these adverts too” and encourage the user to 'tear down' the advert and join the bone marrow register, implying that by doing so, the user can help cure blood cancer and reduce the need for the adverts.

Meanwhile, the new video features beatbox artist Bass6, in which he asks the viewer to “Make Some Noise About Blood Cancer”.

Chrystyna Chymera, marketing manager at Anthony Nolan, said: “We wanted to create a campaign that really engaged young men and motivated them to join the bone marrow register. So far, the feedback from our campaign has been fantastic; we can't wait to see the end results.”

The video and banner ad campaign will run until the March, 1. Posters also appear in Topman store changing rooms and in gyms this week.

Nearly 1,600 people in the UK are in need of a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant.

The Anthony Nolan charity, which is based in the grounds of London's Royal Free Hospital, provides the match for around three potentially lifesaving transplants a day, but for every patient helped there is another for whom a match cannot be found.

Ninety per cent of donations take place via peripheral blood stem cell collection, which is an outpatient appointment and is similar to donating blood.

• For more information on the donating process, or to apply to join the register, visit www.anthonynolan.org or call 0303 303 0303.