A very creative twist makes Australians pay attention to the need for blood donors even after being exposed to so many traditional awareness campaigns.
A Moment for the Middle Child, created by global digital agency DEPT® for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, gives the middle child the spotlight (and the onus) – coinciding with National Middle Child Day. The campaign, aimed at encouraging young Australians to donate blood, uses the power of social media and the universal theme of sibling rivalry to engage a specific audience – middle children aged 18-30.
Originally conceived for National Blood Donor Week, the campaign found its perfect fit with National Middle Child Day. The brief was to create an awareness campaign that would resonate with the Gen Z audience, who have either never donated blood or are unmotivated to do so. The concept, A Moment for the Middle Child, taps into the often-overlooked middle sibling’s desire for attention, using this as a motivation to donate blood and become the favourite child.
The campaign offers donors both the opportunity to contribute to a vital cause and the chance to earn social media bragging rights – so particularly appealing to Gen Z, who are very active in social media and look for meaningful engagement.
Hannah Rayment, PR manager at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, commented, “This campaign is a fresh and engaging way to reach young Australians. We are thrilled to be able to bring this creative concept to life and inspire a new generation of blood donors.”
The campaign, DEPT® ‘s first collaboration with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, unfolds in three phases – teaser videos, a hero piece, and supporting content from creators on Instagram and TikTok. The hero video playfully subverts expectations of a typical Lifeblood ad, quickly revealing itself as a spoof on the common struggles of middle children, with lines such as, “I’ve been called the dog’s name” and “being left behind by their parents,” leading them to ask, “When is it going to be their time?”. Additionally, the campaign features content from creators, Emily McCracken (@emjcrackers) and Mitchell Coombs (@mitchellcoombs), both middle children themselves, who are producing their own content to support the cause.
Jessica White, VP of creative & media at DEPT®, added, “At its core, A Moment for the Middle Child is about encouraging young Australians to donate blood. We’re tapping into the playful dynamics of sibling rivalry to drive action. The campaign’s message is clear: become the favourite child by donating blood and making a difference.”
