Poland Joins Global Drive for COVID-19 Blood Plasma Donors With Hard-Hitting Advertising Campaign
A young child looks on as St Nicholas is wheeled into intensive care, suffering from Covid19 in a powerful new Polish advert unveiled this week as part of a national effort to encourage blood plasma donations from those who have recovered from the virus already.
The Krewki initiative comes as the country battles the virus with more than 20,000 patients currently hospitalised and in need of treatment. It was created by the State of Poland Federation which is funded by the Polish Development Bank and supported by the national government. Through a dedicated site and app it aims to create a socially-driven community connecting Covid19 sufferers with potential donors.
Blood plasma from those who have recovered from the virus contains antibodies which have been proven to be beneficial to other patients. Through the Krewki site or app users can register and see how many people are currently in need of treatment and how many potential donors are in a certain area. No personal information is shared but users are directed to local resources for help and advice on how, when and why to donate plasma or advice on treatment and symptoms. International visitors are signposted to their local resources. Users are able to invite others to join the community.
To support the launch, Krewki has produced a short promotional video which shows Saint Nicolas lying in hospital hooked up to a respirator while a young child looks on. The ad encourages viewers to give the greatest gift of all this year by donating blood plasma. It was created by the team at the State of Poland Federation.
The campaign is supported by the Polish national government who are offering a number of additional benefits to those who get involved including discounts on public transport, paid time off work, National Insurance waivers and free supplements from pharmacies.
The Krewki project is limited to Poland but the need for blood and plasma donations, for a whole range of conditions, is a global issue. Therefore, the Krewki website will also direct people to plasma and blood donation authorities in a number of other countries in a bid to raise awareness and encourage people all over the world to do their part.
Danuta Nierada, Creative Director; Krewki.com said: “While good news about vaccines is very welcome, they will take some time to deploy and can only benefit those who are already healthy. We have an immediate and serious need to help more than 20,000 Covid19 patients already in hospital and others who may fall victim to this virus and blood plasma donation can go a long way to help.
St Nicholas not only represents our culture and traditions, but the older and more vulnerable people in our society who are at the greatest risk. This is a global issue, not just a Polish one, which is why we have also included signposts to resources in other countries around the world.”