By A SHOOT Staff Report

Cancer is diagnosed in one out of every three people in the U.S. With this disease affecting so many people across the country, cancer patients use nearly 25% of the nation’s blood supply–more than patients fighting any other disease–but only 3% of Americans donate blood in a given year.

For the first time, American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society partnered in a powerful campaign–”Give Blood to Give Time,” created by the former’s agency, BBDO New York–to explain the critical role blood donations play in a cancer patient’s journey.

Centerpiece of the campaign is this PSA, “Give Time,” directed by Benjamin Mege of production house Caviar. The story is told through a series of hundreds of intimate photos. We see a young woman’s life upended as she gets a cancer diagnosis, Just when you think it may be the end, a blood transfusion helps her journey to go on, leading to her experiencing more of the joys in life.

There is no dialogue, no spoken words in this PSA. Only music takes us through this woman’s story. The eloquence of this accompanying music–from Q Department, New York–helps to advance and enhance the empathetic tone and feel we as viewers experience as we are allowed into this cancer patient’s life. This music thus earned the #1 entry in SHOOT’s quarterly Top Ten Tracks Chart to kick off 2020 for the role it plays in giving potential blood donors a brand new motivation to give.

Q Department
Q Department’s Drazen Bosnjak, creative director on “Give Time,” described the project brief from BBDO New York as “bold and moving.” He was drawn to the story and credited the work of many, noting that “Caviar director Benjamin Mege crafted a powerful story told through hundreds of intimate photos that editor Anne Perri (of Work Editorial) edited together in a really moving way. We see a young woman’s life being turned upside down as she gets a cancer diagnosis. Just when you think it may be the end, a blood transfusion helps her journey continue.

“Musically the biggest creative challenge for our team was how do we support the story without making it feel overtly prescriptive or manipulative as this could create a distrust by the audience. Our music works with the story and builds empathy and truth not unlike scoring a documentary.” 

Bosnjak concluded, “Our haunting vocals help the viewer internalize the intimacy of the girl’s story. It’s very relatable. The music needed to help you make a personal connection to the subject matter. You are left wanting to help her story continue. It’s very effective. Donate blood its more important that ever! When you give blood, you give time.”

Audio post mixer on “Give Time” was Conrad Sanguineti of Honeymix, New York.

Click here for SHOOT's quarterly Top Ten Tracks Chart.

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