More people need organ transplants than there are donors. That’s a heartbreaking reality. In the Arab world, discomfort around organ donation after death keeps the numbers low, despite faith not being a barrier and governments actively promoting the cause. But what’s missing is the conversation.
So Publicis Middle East & Dejavu Dubai have created Strangers, a campaign film for King Faisal Specialist Hospital. It tells eight powerful, real-life stories of lives saved through organ donation, driving home one fact – a single donor can save up to eight lives.
The 3.44 minute film tells its stories without dramatic twists or overstatement. It lets the idea speak for itself, showing how one act can create a lasting legacy.
“Through this film, we’ve tried to create a purpose that people could relate to and truly feel, Organ donation and the subsequent transplantation aren’t just procedures – they contribute to continuation of life for others. The film reminds us that even when we are gone, we can still give the most meaningful gift there is: time, hope, and a future to someone else,” stated Muhannad Abdullah Kadi, chief corporate communications & marketing officer, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.
“Through this film, we’ve tried to create a purpose that people could relate to and truly feel. Organ donation and the subsequent transplantation aren’t just procedures – they contribute to continuation of life for others. The film reminds us that even when we are gone, we can still give the most meaningful gift there is: time, hope, and a future to someone else.”
Rather than treating organ donation as a public awareness topic, the campaign frames it as a human decision – one that offers time, possibility, and a future to someone else. The campaign achieved a 98% view-through rate, with viewers watching the full 3 minutes and 44 seconds. It generated 100% positive sentiment in 23 markets that it reached.
“We wanted to tell a story that makes people stop and think,” commented Tahaab Rais, chief strategy officer, Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey and the film’s director. “There’s nothing more powerful than the idea that something of us can live on through others. And an organ donor can help impact up to 8 lives. That’s what we leaned into. The clues throughout the film allude to the transplant the people have benefitted from. And the response has shown that when the message is honest, people listen.”
With Strangers, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre strengthens its voice in the field of transplantation, bringing attention not just to the science behind the procedures, but to the meaning behind them.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Publicis Middle East & Dejavu Dubai
Production Company: Dejavu Dubai
Line Production: BMRG FIlms
Post-Production: Dejavu Dubai
Editing: Cold-Cutz
Colouring: Company 3
Executive Producer: Manasvi Gosalia
Director: Tahaab Rais
Director of Photography: Marvin Schatz
Screenplay & story: Tahaab Rais
Producer: Hala El Amm
Head of Production: Kavya Iyer
Chief Executive Officer: Bassel Kakish
Chief Strategy Officer: Tahaab Rais
Executive Creative Director: Aunindo Anoop Sen
Head of Production: Shereen Mostafa
Senior Producer: Joumana Haddad
Producer: Nicholas Balaa
1st AD: Guram Bakradze
2nd ADs: Ilia Asitashvili, Marie Jatchvadze
Executive Producers: Levan Maghradze & Tato Sulakvelidze
Production Manager: Irina Khvedelidze
Editor: Neda Zag
Head of Post Production: Rafic Sawaya
Post Producer: Nadim Khoury
Senior Colourist: Steffan Perry
Colouring & Grading Senior Producer: Edwin Elkington
VFX: Pradosh Chandran
