Why is this work relevant for Direct?

We had a focussed approach with a clear call-to-action in order to bring the idea alive. Special shrouds were designed to honor the donors and were sent to all Fortis hospitals across India. The hospitals were instructed to organise an honorable send-off for the deceased organ donor; with the body draped in this special shroud as a mark of honor for their noble act.

Background

India has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world. Mainly because, in the Indian society, organ donation comes attached with a social stigma. The brief was to change people’s negative mindset towards organ donation and increase the organ donation rate. The objective was to inspire people to pledge their organs by giving respect and recognition to the act of organ donation.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

Inspired by the heroic send-offs given to martyrs with their bodies draped in flags, we designed a flag to be used as a special shroud for organ donors at their funerals and at the time of discharge from the hospitals. Much like a badge of honor to separate them from the rest who are draped in traditional white shrouds. The shroud was sent to various Fortis hospitals across India to make sure that the bodies of organ donors were draped in it before they were discharged.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

The target audience was people of all age groups who could be inspired to pledge their organs. The target media was leading news channels, national dailies and social media sites. The campaign was executed in different stages across various mediums, with each leg amplified and communicated through PR. The campaign started with the launch of a symbol for organ donation, which was used to create a special shroud for organ donors. The shroud was presented to families of organ donors to commemorate their noble act at a mega event. The launch event took place with the support of leading IPL cricket team Delhi Capitals which had some of the world's top cricketers and was covered by all major media channels and publications. To further create buzz around the campaign, we used the Fortis social media handles along with our channel partner NDTV.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The first step was to create a new symbol for organ donation. Once that was done, a mega launch was announced for unveiling the symbol. At the launch event, a special shroud, with the symbol printed on it, was presented to families of organ donors to commemorate their noble act. The launch took place with the support of leading IPL cricket team Delhi Capitals which had some of the world's top cricketers and was covered by all major media channels and publications. Post launch, the special shroud was sent to all 38 Fortis hospitals across India to make sure that the bodies of organ donors were draped in it before they were discharged. Thus inspiring hundreds of people witnessing the send-off, both in the hospital as well as at the funeral. In order to keep the conversation going, we partnered with NDTV (India's leading news channel) and through their news

List the results (30% of vote)

Over 20 million impressions across media (TV, radio, print and digital). 20% increase in the organ donation rate. 29% increase in cadaver donations compared to the previous year.

Please tell us about the social behaviour and/or cultural insights that inspired your campaign

In India, the human body is seen as a creation of god. Tampering with it is considered inauspicious. It is a key reason why many people are against pledging their organs. This inspired us to creative a campaign that was built around creating the world's first shroud to honor the organ donors for their noble act of saving lives.