Assisted dying campaign group Dignity in Dying has partnered with creative agency John Doe on a new campaign ahead of the assisted dying bill, which is being presented to Parliament later this month.
The ‘Let Us Choose’ campaign uses portraits from renowned photographer David Boni, accompanied by personal statements from individuals affected by terminal illnesses.
The portraits feature Anil, whose father ended his own life as a result of terminal multiple sclerosis and Sophie, who has stage-four breast cancer.
The campaign includes out-of-home advertising, a direct mail to MPs and a ‘media moment’ in Parliament.
Dignity in Dying campaigns and comms manager, Sadie Kempner said: “The campaign for choice at the end of life has always been grounded in the experiences of real people who have faced, or are facing, the profound harms of the blanket ban of assisted dying. Sophie, Jenny and Anil are powerful advocates for the groundswell of public support for law change and for the movement for end-of-life choice.
“At this historic moment, it is vital that that the voices of terminally ill people are at the heart of the debate and the My Dying Wish – Let Us Choose campaign does just that.”
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Recent polls suggest that more than three-quarters of people across Britain believe dying individuals should have choice at the end of their lives.
Currently, around 300 million people worldwide have access to assisted dying options similar to those proposed in Westminster.
“This is a cause that matters a great deal to us, so we were hugely honoured to be appointed, especially at such a historic time in the debate,” said Pam Scobbie, John Doe CCO and co-founder.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working on creating something grounded in the real experiences of both those facing terminal illness and those who have watched someone else go through it.”
Scobbie added: “Through their stories, we wanted to reflect the humanity of what’s an incredibly difficult, complicated and ultimately heart-wrenching subject. Because this is not about people hoping to die.
“These are people who know that their life is coming to an end. They simply want the chance to shape how, without suffering. ‘When we cannot stay, let us choose how we go’ is the foundation of this campaign – and we hope the legislative change to come.”
