CAMPAIGN NAME

The Drying Flag

CATEGORY

Positive Change: Social Good - Brands

CLIENT

Latvian State Blood Donor Center

LEAD AGENCIES

White Label, McCANN Riga

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES

Mindshare Baltics, Golin Rīga

CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION

Blood donations in Latvia are voluntary, however the cultural perception of donations has changed since Latvia's independence. While still technically market as 'voluntary', blood donations had a different perspective when Latvia was a part of Soviet Union. Workers and students were strongly pressured to donate as part of collective duty. Many workplaces treated donation days as part of labour discipline.

THE CHALLENGE

Valsts Asins Donoru Centrs (Latvia State Blood Donor Centre) is responsible for maintaining the country’s blood supply in a system that relies entirely on voluntary donations.

While 41% of Latvians have donated blood at least once, only around 3% donate in any given year. The system depends heavily on a small group of repeat donors, making it vulnerable and unsustainable long term.

There was no medical crisis or operational issue in 2025. The real challenge was psychological. Blood donation was no longer part of the public conversation, and traditional messaging based on duty or urgency had lost effectiveness. Small financial compensation and practical benefits were not strong motivators.

Research showed that appeals based on shortage or incentives had little impact. Instead, willingness to donate increased when the motivation was personal and emotional.

STRATEGIC APPROACH AND EXECUTION

Facing stagnant donation rates and deep emotional barriers, Valsts Asins Donoru Centrs shifted from urgency-based messaging to a cultural reframing.

The key insight: Latvians feel strong patriotic pride, yet fail to translate that solidarity into blood donation. The strategy was to reposition donation not as a medical duty, but as an act of patriotism.

The campaign used Latvia’s most powerful national symbol - the flag - reimagined as the “Drying Flag.” If only 41% had ever donated, the red would fade. This visualised the contradiction between pride and action.

The altered flag first appeared unexplained near the Freedom Monument in Riga, creating intrigue and public debate.

After the reveal, it spread to ministries and six major cities, physically reaching nearly half the population.

A three-step rollout drove impact:

1. Symbol (teaser installation),

2. Buzz (press and ATL amplification with trusted ambassadors),

3. Action (digital, influencers, Spotify and social ads with clear calls to donate).