Hasta La Creative!

Every marketer in the world dreams of creating something useful, accomplishing a noble goal and scoring huge results. Here’s a project that nailed all three.

Y&R Moscow recently partnered with Azerbaijani cellular network Nar Mobile to create a wearable device called Donor Cable, which lets one smartphone owner easily donate power to another. Worn as a bracelet, the charging device is clever enough, but it’s also inscribed with the message, “Donate energy to save a phone, and donate blood to save a life.”

Why encourage blood donation specifically? As you can see in the case study below, Azerbaijan has the world’s highest number of children born with the blood disorder thalassemia, a hereditary disease primarily found among Mediterranean cultures. The illness requires extensive blood transfusions for babies, and hospitals often lack the needed amount of donated blood.

The Donor Cable bracelets were given away with Android smartphone purchases at Nar stores around the country, and mobile blood donation centers were parked nearby to catch phone buyers while the issue was on their mind.

The campaign increased the nation’s blood donation rate an astounding 335 percent, earning widespread attention and goodwill along the way.