Canadian Blood services
Telling Stories of Life & Gratitude
Content: editorial photography & documentary video
Produced for: social ads, digital billboards, or programmatic buys
Outcome: Helped CBS Triple Blood Donations over the holiday season
Every year, holiday activities contribute to a dip in blood and plasma donations, even though the need remains constant. For Canadian Blood Services (CBS), the holidays bring a unique challenge to maintain supply during one of the busiest times of the year.
To help CBS address this critical issue, our collaborative effort with Boldlip delivered a multi-channel campaign that told the heartfelt stories of recipients, their families, and the life-changing impact made possible by donors.
Recognizing how deeply personal these stories were, we designed every aspect of the production process to ensure participants felt supported and valued.
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From private, one-on-one time with our warm hair and makeup team to a calm atmosphere in the studio, we prioritized creating a space that genuinely cared for participants.
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By shooting video alongside stills with a unified approach, we ensured the visuals maintained a cohesive tone, bringing warmth and sincerity to each story. This was about capturing people as they truly are—with honesty and integrity.
Approach
Connections Across Channels
All of the campaign’s visuals and messaging emphasized the intimate and singular power of everyday moments we take for granted. The creative forced every viewer to pause and reflect—not on the magnitude of saving lives—but on the simplicity of preserving simple heartfelt moments.
By focusing on human connection, we turned the challenge of donor shortages into an inspiring celebration of second chances.
Website & Organic
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The beautiful places we can go when we have the time. These central campaign narratives dive into the powerful stories of blood donors and recipients, showing just how life-changing donations can be. Made for the web, it takes you on a deeper journey into the impact of giving blood.
Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn
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Short and impactful, we crafted these for social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The length allowed us to go a little bit deeper and share those more personal moments that shaped their story.
Instagram & X
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A feel-good 15 seconds to share the importance of blood donation and inspire action.
The Response
The Campaigns had a tangible impact, not only on blood donation rates but also on awareness and emotional engagement across the nation.
CBS saw huge growth during the holiday season, with blood donations tripling over six weeks.
Internally CBS received overwhelming praise from audiences and stakeholders alike:
“I think one of the best I’ve seen” "such a beautiful and touching video" "It got my waterworks flowing!”
“I think one of the best I’ve seen” "such a beautiful and touching video" "It got my waterworks flowing!”
"goosebumps watching the video” “such an amazing video” “soooo well done”
"goosebumps watching the video” “such an amazing video” “soooo well done”
"wow, just wow!" "What a fantastic video. Goosebumps”
"wow, just wow!" "What a fantastic video. Goosebumps”
National Blood Donor Week
Thanks to the incredible success of the original campaign, we were invited to further our efforts by capturing additional blood recipient stories to highlight the impact of donations during National Blood Donor Week. These heartfelt narratives served as a powerful tool to connect potential donors to the real-life outcomes of their generosity.
The extended campaign continued to resonate deeply with the audience, significantly increasing engagement and strengthening connections within the donor community. By sharing these stories, our collective team helped contribute to year-over-year growth in donation numbers, reinforcing the importance of giving blood and its ongoing life-saving impact.
