To mark the 75th birthday of the NHS MullenLowe has launched a birthday card campaign to encourage people to sign up to donate their organs and sign up to the organ register.

Targeting all adults in England, the ‘Go on, get a card. It is our birthday’ campaign seeks to engage the public around the service’s birthday by drawing a line between birthday cards and the organ donor cards received by anyone who registers as an organ donor for the first time.

The creative, which features an image of the organ donor card, alongside the campaign strapline, is being shown across out-of-home sites donated for free by Ocean Outdoor and Unilever. The out of home activity will be supported by digital assets living in a range of spaces – from NHSBT sites, blood donor centres and across social media.

Tom Knox, Executive Partner at MullenLowe, explained: “NHS Blood & Transplant are committed to reducing the number of people waiting for an organ transplant and saving as many lives as possible in the process. Three quarters of people are willing to donate in England, but currently, only 40% of people have registered a decision as an organ donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register. This is our opportunity to help change that. We want to celebrate the NHS’s 75th birthday as a moment for people to be able to give back to the healthcare service which provides care for them day in, and day out, 365 days a year.”

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, added: “Today, more than 7,000 people in the UK need a lifesaving transplant to transform their life. Just 1 percent of people die in the right circumstances to donate their organs so we need as many people as possible to confirm their organ donation decision so their families know what they want to happen.”

He continued: “On the NHS’s 75th birthday, please confirm your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register so you could potentially save or improve up to nine lives.”

MullenLowe’s work for the NHS has successfully redefined what public service advertising can achieve. This smart tactical campaign contributes to a legacy built on an expansive and creatively brave partnership. From the creative call to arms that was the ‘We are the NHS’ campaign brand platform, to executions such as this highly successful recruitment campaign the partnership has become one of the most meaningful in modern marketing history.

To learn more about organ donation please click here.