How do you devise a creative solution for a national campaign on a locally controversial issue? In the case of Serbia, the topic of organ donation has been known to raise some eyebrows due to a number of factors, not least political, meaning there hasn’t been much public support for the idea of cadaveric organ donation and transplants.

When comparing the number of organ donors per million people in European countries, Serbia falls at the very bottom of the list, trailing its neighbours like Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary by far.

The main goal of the campaign was raising awareness in the Serbian public about this important health issue that has simultaneously become a contested socio-political topic. Every year, thousands of Serbian citizens in need of a vital organ never receive one. Yet, the local public is still very much against the idea of organ donation outside the close family circle.

We decided to go head on and try to use the traditional Serbian “sports” mentality to stress out the national importance of organ donation.

Together with Hemofarm Foundation, we’ve enlisted esteemed sportspeople to support the campaign, with one simple tagline: “I am a donor, too. Because I root for Serbia.”

We’ve also put up billboards and social media posts with images displaying how Serbia compares in organ donation against its neighbours, in the form of a football score sign. This alone has triggered interest in the public and sparked a debate across all media channels, from social networks to radio and TV.

Close to a million people saw the campaign on social media. Moreover, during the first week alone, there were 135 media mentions and 286 minutes in prime time. Last but not least, the campaign has won two local awards - “Kaktus” for best socially responsible campaign, and "UEPS" award for best non-profit campaign in 2019.