The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has launched its 2022 Christmas campaign which this year chooses to focus on the real experiences of people living with heart conditions.
Developed by creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi, ‘The gift that keeps on living’ campaign centres around a typical Christmas Day at home, using the story of a relationship to show the ‘true value’ of a donation to the BHF.
The festive creative intends to move away from the ‘usual trappings of the holiday’ to celebrate the joy of little things and the act of giving.
Saatchi & Saatchi made sure that it spoke to the real experiences of people living with heart conditions and the effect it has on their loved ones. The agency conducted a series of interviews during pre-production and gathered anecdotes and insights to shape the script, storyline and direction of the finished film.
Directed by Molly Burdett, the film sees the couple do things they ‘weren’t supposed to’, from burning potatoes to buying unexpected gifts. The end of the spot changes in tempo when the girlfriend touches the boyfriend’s chest scar.
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“At Christmas, we usually gift material things. But for this festive season, we’re asking people to give the gift of a longer life for people with heart conditions, by helping to fund our ground-breaking research,” British Heart Foundation head of brand and health engagement, Damion Mower, said.
“‘The gift that keeps on living’ perfectly encapsulates both the real experiences our survivors and their families have kindly shared with us, and the life-changing impact of donations. We hope we can continue to make more Christmases possible as a result.”
The campaign will roll out via TV, VOD, digital, social and radio.
Saatchi & Saatchi chief creative officer, Franki Goodwin, added: “We wanted the film to reflect on the human value of the scientific research that the BHF does as we ask for donations at a difficult financial time for everyone.
“For a story this simple we knew we needed to work with a director who could tell it quietly, in order to bring to life the emotional weight behind it. Molly’s work – which we saw at our New Creators’ Showcase earlier this year – immediately came to mind, and we’re so pleased she was up for the challenge.”
