Y&R has a new campaign encouraging New Yorkers to become organ donors on behalf of the New York Organ Donor Network.
In an animated 90-second spot, parts of buildings begin to fall off as the city is portrayed in dire health. A group collects the pieces, however, and assembles them into a heart which powers the city back up, as the Statue of Liberty breathes a sigh of relief, followed by the tagline “Keep New York Alive” and a message urging New Yorkers to become organ donors. The campaign is needed because as a state New York is well behind the curve in terms of registered organ donors.
“Next-to-last place—we are ranked 49th in terms of the percentage of state residents registered as organ donors—is not good enough for New York,”Glen Jacobs, executive creative director at Y&R, told Adweek. “We need to move the needle, so organ donors can save lives. Period.”
For the spot, Y&R teamed up with Laurent Witz, the director behind Oscar-winning animated short Mr. Hublot. Witz and company employed lifelike 3D animation to deliver the message in a way that can grab people’s attention. While it’s not immediately apparent why the city is falling apart, the message is clear by the end of the 90 seconds, and the initial mystery serves to draw in the viewer.
Still, Jacobs says that Y&R’s work for the cause is far from over. “If this campaign helps raise awareness for the cause, that’s great,” he told Adweek. “But we have a long way to go. So, our aim is to keep finding bigger and better ways to get the message out.”
Credits:
Client: New York Organ Donor Network
Agency: Y&R, New York
Chief Creative Officer: Jim Elliott
Executive Creative Director: Glen Jacobs
Creative Directors: Josh Schildkraut, Miranda Dean
Executive Director of Content Production: Letitia Jacobs
Producers: Emma Starzacher, Sarah Haroldson
Account Management: Laurie Newsome, Tre Jordan
Business Manager: Adele Solomon
Production, Postproduction: Zeilt Productions
Director, Executive Producer, Director of Photography: Laurent Witz
Production Assistant: Joane Degive
Character Design: Jerome Gillet, Ghayth Chegaar
Composer: Francois Rousselot
Music: Macedonia Radio Symphonic Orchestra