Romania ranks among the last in Europe’s blood donation ranking. Antena 1, top Romanian TV station, decided to address this issue in a social campaign to be aired one week during its prime time news program, Observator. The objective was to generate a positive reaction from potential blood donors, but also from the Government.

Using the TV screen as an activation tool, Observator disrupted the TV watching experience for one week by removing the red component from the screen’s RGB colors. On Facebook, Antena 1 stars removed the red colour from their profile picture, followed soon after by 30,000 Romanians. Using a simple metaphor, Observator showcased how life without blood looks like to millions of viewers.

14 million Romanians were reached, generating an earned media equivalent of 1.2 million EUR. Blood donations increased nationwide by 80% within one week, compelling the Romanian Health Minister of Health and the Secretary of State to react. They promised to open more transfusion blood centres and signed a historic 300% budget increase for blood donations.

On 28th April 2014, Observator used for the first time the TV screen as an activation tool. Viewers noticed something on their screen was different. The red component from the screen RGB colors was missing. Andreea Berecleanu, the anchor woman, assured televiewers that nothing was wrong with their TV, and it’s just how life without blood feels like for thousands of Romanians in need of blood donations.

For one week, during prime time news, the red color was missing from Observator news. "Donate Red" was the main message of the campaign, urging people to give blood.

During the seven days campaign blood donation became a hot topic on all media. Within one week, the number of blood donors nationwide increased by 80%. Only in Bucharest, the daily average of donors was 335, compared to 180-200 before the campaign.

10 million Romanians witnessed the campaign on TV, while the aggregate number of views reached 160 million views. 30,000 Romanians actively joined the campaign on Facebook by removing the red from their profile pictures. More than 4.5 million saw the campaign on Facebook or on other platforms. The widespread coverage generated an earned media equivalent of 1.2 million EUR.

The Romanian Health Minister of Health and the Secretary of State were compelled to react. They promised to open more transfusion blood centres (in January 2015, the second centre was opened) and signed a historic 300% budget increase for blood donations.

Because nobody should die from lack of blood.