French multinational agency Havas has secured a three-year contract to run the NHS’ Blood and Transplant creative strategy, in a deal worth £4.9 million.

NHS Blood and Transplant aims to save lives through donations of blood, organs, tissues, stem cells and plasma – as such increasing brand awareness and audience reach are crucial to its core function.

The NHS Blood and Transplant account is be jointly serviced by three Havas subsidiaries; creative firm Havas London, customer engagement agency Havas CX helia and PR outfit Red Havas.

With demand for products such as whole blood, plasma, platelets, organs, tissues, and stem cells predicted to increase dramatically in the coming months, Havas’ extensive remit will include building public awareness of donation and increasing the wider public’s tendency to donate.

Further campaigns will be implemented in order to drive greater numbers of ethnic minority donors in a bid to address acute health inequalities among Black and South Asian communities.

“Our blood, plasma, organ, tissue and stem cell donation campaigns inspire and motivate the public on the important opportunity they have to give the gift of life,” NHS Blood and Transplant assistant director of marketing and creative services, Helen Duggan said.

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“Beyond Havas’ clear passion for NHSBT’s lifesaving work, their grasp of the donor journey and experience relevant to our work is second-to-none, and that’s why we are delighted to have them join us as our creative agency.

She continued: “We have ambitious targets to recruit one million new blood donors in next five years and continue to increase the number of people who have recorded and shared their organ donation decision.

“With Havas as our creative partner, we are confident we are in the best place to meet these challenges at this critical moment for the NHS.”

Havas London chief creative officer, Vicki Maguire added: “This is not ‘just another account’. This one saves lives. You don’t need to tell me that – as the partner of someone who received a lifesaving organ transplant, this one’s personal.

“I’ve seen, up close, the heroic work NHSBT does, day in, day out, and I am so proud that Havas has been appointed. Donation is a nuanced, personal, one-of-a-kind brief, and we’ve brought together the best in brand comms, CX and PR to really comprehensively nail the entire donor journey.”

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