26 May 2021 – “Give Blood and Keep the World Beating” is the motto of the 2021 World Blood Donor Day and the title of the creative campaign created by the independent marketing and communications agency Connexia to support this day dedicated to blood donors all over the world, which was established in 2005 by the World Health Organisation.

The host of this year’s WBDD is Italy. The day will feature a series of special initiatives promoted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Blood Centre (CSN) and donor associations, culminating in a global event that will be held in Rome on 14 and 15 June: the inauguration of the Virtual donor village, a digital space for meetings, scientific symposia and information stands to raise awareness and provide information on the importance of voluntary donation. The event on 14 June will conclude on the stage of the Auditorium in Rome with a concert by French-Indonesian singer Anggun and other special guests.

The only Italian agency to be a partner of GLOBALHealthPR (GHPR), the world’s largest network of independent agencies specialising in scientific and pharmaceutical communication, Connexia is also the sole point of reference for all phases of the creative project, starting with the conception of “Give Blood and Keep the World Beating”, the motto adopted by the WHO at a global level. The motto plays on the word “beating”, linking heartbeats and sound rhythms and speaking the international and intergenerational language of music.

2021’s WBDD focusses in particular on young people and the essential contribution that the 18-25 generation can make by saving and improving the lives of their neighbours with their donations and allowing the heart of the world to continue beating.

In addition to devising the abovementioned motto, Connexia created the concept for the integrated campaign and worked on the definition of the communication strategy and subsequent deployment of all assets at a global level.

“Give Blood and Keep the World Beating” is the motto of the TV and digital campaign, which features a 30” film by Connexia that uses animation to depict the extraordinary journey of a bag of blood – from the donor to the patient receiving it. The act of donating triggers a rhythm and a visual narrative that comes to life through the drawings of international illustrator Margherita Premuroso.

The WBDD campaign film, on air in 30” format on all RAI channels, will have a 40” digital version that will be released on the official channels of the WHO, Ministry of Health, Istituto Superiore della Sanità, CNS and Italian donor associations (CIVIS).

“For me, donating blood is an extraordinary act that helps the health service to function effectively every day, ensuring that it is fit for purpose,” explains Minister for Health Roberto Speranza in a video-message focussing on health. “Italy is striving to invest with all its energy, but we need more and more people to do their part: we need women and men who are prepared to devote a little of their time and give a little of their blood to a cause that is just and important.”

We will work hard to organise our networks as best we can, but we clearly need the consent and support of many other people. I would like to thank everyone who has decided to donate blood, because it is a compassionate and wonderful act that really helps our National Health Service to function. And I also want to express my gratitude to all those who will be working hard over the next two days and weeks to ensure that this event will once again send out a positive message of revival and strength to our National Health Service”.

“We can only be proud of this collaboration with the World Health Organisation, the Ministry of Health, the National Blood Centre and donor associations for World Blood Donor Day 2021,” commented Paolo d’Ammassa, CEO & Founding Partner of Connexia. “The campaign that we have created for the occasion, and which will be presented on television networks and social media, aims to reach a worldwide audience made up primarily of young people, whose donations are increasingly crucial but experiencing a steady decline. In order to convey such an essential and vital message in a language that speaks to young people, we chose a direct creative approach, combining the simplicity of drawings with the rhythm of music.”

“Never before has the importance of communication in promoting basic health practices – from proper hand washing to the usefulness of vaccinations – been more apparent than during the pandemic. Effective communication can make a difference and save lives, as it did during the months of the Covid-19 emergency. The video made for World Blood Donor Day is a perfect example of how to make difficult messages – which can struggle to ‘hit home’ and raise awareness among certain categories of people – more engaging,” explains Vincenzo De Angelis, CNS Director. “The campaign is truly ‘global’: it is aimed at citizens of all countries and all ages, and the video – like the other materials produced – has managed to strike a universal key that we hope will bring the world of donation closer to those who are not normally interested in this type of message, such as young people.”

“I am delighted to see young people at the centre of World Blood Donor Day this year,” comments Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Our young people have suffered in particular during this pandemic, but they have also shown extraordinary resilience and adaptability. Many of the world’s blood donors are young and it is time for their vital contribution to health and to the community at large to be recognised: by donating blood, young people can save lives. So we would like to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ to all the young blood donors of today and tomorrow. Give Blood, Keep the World Beating!”