New campaign highlights young football fans lost to heart disease

Ahead of the men’s Euro 2024 tournament, Saatchi & Saatchi has created a new campaign for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) that taps into the vernacular of football fandom to draw attention to the issue of heart disease among young people.

The campaign centres around 12 OOH displays in towns and cities across Scotland, England and Wales, each dedicated to a young football fan who has died as a result of heart disease. The number of football fans honoured in the campaign was chosen based on studies showing that on average 12 young people lose their lives to heart disease every week.

The visuals take the form of hand-painted murals, which have become a popular way of celebrating football stars. This time, the murals feature smiling portraits of the 12 young people spotlighted in the campaign, along with the line ‘Til I Died’ – a nod to the phrase that passionate football fans use about their clubs or teams. It’s a powerful and attention-grabbing line, which is no doubt the point.

“Our new campaign is a powerful reminder of the impact of sudden cardiac death,” says Damion Mower, director of brand at BHF. “Behind every mural is a family who have lost a loved one too soon, and our teams at the BHF have worked closely and sensitively with them to ensure their relatives are remembered in a touching way.” Alongside the murals, the campaign will also include social content and radio ads to spread the message.

Credits:
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
CCO: Franki Goodwin
ACD: Mia Silverman
Senior Creatives: Henrik Ridderheim, Pete Ioulianou, Ollie Agius
OOH Production Company: Grand Visual