NHS Blood and Transplant faced an urgent shortage of child organ donors, with consent rates as low as 52% among younger age groups. The "Waiting to Live" campaign sought to change this by raising awareness and encouraging families to join the NHS Organ Donor Register. The campaign told the powerful, real-life stories of 233 children on the transplant waiting list. To make their struggle visible, 233 handcrafted dolls, each representing a child, were placed in medical waiting rooms across the UK, with QR codes linking to their stories.

This production was particularly challenging. Ralph, a 3-year-old boy on the waiting list, was the son of a colleague and the inspiration behind the idea. The emotional weight of his story pushed us forward, but we had never tackled anything like this before. How do you get 233 handcrafted dolls made by different artists with little to no budget? And that was just the beginning. But with determination and a producer’s mindset, we found a way.

In November 2023, "Waiting to Live" launched across TV, VOD, cinema, OOH, social, and press. On launch day alone, it garnered 263 media mentions, including features in The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, and Daily Mirror, reaching an audience of nearly 206 million. The campaign went on to win numerous awards, including Cannes Lions and Grand Clios. Best of all, Ralph received his multi-organ transplant and is no longer waiting to live his life.

Executive Producer: Bella E. Danon, Agency Producer: Claire Proudfoot & Kat Perry, Photographer/Director:Julian Ward, VML UK