We set out to add thousands of names to the Marrow Donor Registry, and completely change the way that marrow registration is done.Signing up as a marrow donor is as simple as a couple drops of blood. So instead of making people jump through hoops to register, we decided to catch people while they were already bleeding.First, we put a simple marrow registry kit into boxes of Help bandages to create a new product-based initiative.We launched at the biggest meeting of the minds in the world – the TED Conference – and earned media in some of the country’s largest publications.We sold the product through online retailers and marketed to their millions of email subscribers. We even created a film to promote the project and reach new audiences.And, in the end, we turned an everyday act into a chance to save a life.

Most marrow donor programmes rely on the family and friends of patients, or an occasional event, to recruit new donors. But this requires a huge number of man-hours and usually only yields a few dozen registrations.But by making marrow registration a part of an everyday act, and a part of a mass-produced consumer product, we’re reaching a huge, new audience and reinventing the way marrow registration is done.

Since its launch Help I want to save a life has been seen by over 50m people. From the most innovative minds in the world at this year’s TED conference, to mainstream news outlets, business publications, medical journals, tech media and the design community.Help’s bandage sales have increased by 1,900%. And new orders have been placed by some of the nation’s largest retailers – including Target, Walgreens and Duane Reade – forging new relationships for Help Remedies.But, most importantly, since the day we launched the number of marrow donor registrations has tripled.