M&C Saatchi Group has been appointed as the creative behaviour change agency for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood following a competitive pitch.

The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is funded by Australian governments to provide blood, plasma, transplantation and biological products. With 1 in 3 people estimated to need blood or blood products in their lifetime, M&C Saatchi Group's mission is to attract over 100,000 new biological donors each year.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Director of Marketing, Jeremy Weiss, said: “Donors, new and existing, are our Lifeblood—without them, we can’t deliver the critical services that impact Australians’ health outcomes.“

Weiss also praised M&C Saatchi's understanding of the necessary behaviour change and their ability to build an emotional connection to the brand. “Throughout the process, M&C Saatchi demonstrated outstanding understanding of the necessary behaviour change; to build an emotional connection to our brand and inspire those to act. Their breadth of specialist capability, experience, and team model positions them to deliver effectively. In every session, we gained a great sense of their culture and values. We’re excited about the potential of our partnership and the positive impact we can achieve together,” he said.

New work from the partnership is expected to hit the market later this year.

"We all rely on the kindness of strangers to become donors and save lives. Most people agree with the premise, but need help to act. There are motivations to be found, myths to bust and barriers to overcome to shift that positive change in behaviour. Attracting 100,000+ new biological donors each and every year is a well-defined mission and one that requires each of our specialist capabilities and the team at Lifeblood to rally behind. We have co-created a diverse team of talented and passionate people to achieve this mission," said CEO, M&C Saatchi, Michael McEwan.

Executive Creative Director, M&C Saatchi, Emma Robbins, said: "There is a beautiful simplicity and emotion at the heart of Lifeblood, and that's 'Life'. Working off that simple truth is a powerful starting point for our collective team. We are very much up for the challenge of helping fellow Australians experience the powerful emotion of becoming a donor. What a wonderful thing to be a part of.”