My blood is red and black - Hemoba Foundation | Clapboard Ad Archive

My blood is red and black stands as a powerfully original intervention by Leo Burnett Tailor Made for the Hemoba Foundation and E.C. Vitória in the public service sector, activating Bahia State’s football allegiance to invigorate the cause of blood donation in Year 2013. At its heart, the campaign fuses regional fan identity with a health imperative, leveraging E.C. Vitória’s storied red and black club colors as a living metaphor for community solidarity and shared lifeblood. Rather than relying on direct appeals or overt crisis messaging, the creative concept reconfigures fandom as actionable empathy, inviting supporters to see their passion for football as a direct extension of civic duty—an approach that sits squarely in Clapboard’s FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem, where symbols and analogy become the storytelling engine rather than literal portrayals. By recasting blood itself as both a biological and cultural connector—with the team’s hues representing not just loyalty but literal life—the campaign points to the immense latent power of local rituals and sport to transcend spectacle and galvanize grassroots social action. This emotionally intelligent strategy produced measurable results: blood donations surged by 46%, an increase that speaks to the scale of public engagement and the authenticity of the messaging. The campaign’s widespread attention in both the national and international press not only advanced the Hemoba Foundation’s objectives but also cemented Leo Burnett Tailor Made’s reputation for turning regional insights into scalable public interest work. Clapboard rates this 79/100. As the industry continues to grapple with the challenge of motivating real-world participation in health campaigns, My blood is red and black signals how culturally tuned symbolism and smart brand alliances can both personalize social issues and drive collective behavioral change.