Why we love #MissingType campaign

Nation’s favourite brands, national newspapers and businesses up and down the country have suddenly seen letters disappear from their names; specifically A’s B’s and O’s.

National Blood Week started yesterday (8th June) and runs until the 14th June and NHS Blood and Transplant are aiming to use this week to improve awareness of the services they provide, the people they help and try to encourage more people to start donating blood.

To help kick start their campaign they have persuaded many high profile brands, hospitals, Police Forces and even The Prime Minister’s official residence to remove letters from their names. The campaign has also been supported by social and PR activity covering TV, radio print and digital media, NHS Blood and Transplant are also highlighting a number of case studies from people who have benefited from receiving donated blood and they are also using this campaign to introduce their a new digital appointment system online and app available for mobile and tablet devices to make booking an appointment even easier.

We need 204,000 new donors across England and North Wales this year. Will you be one of them? #MissingType pic.twitter.com/SyuhMNmbc5

— Give l dNHS (@GiveBloodNHS) June 8, 2015

Has Downing Street been hit by a phantom vandal? #missingtype http://t.co/pZPa5y5rTF http://t.co/WPFIE7LqUo pic.twitter.com/Y121zr9UJb

— Time Out London (@TimeOutLondon) June 8, 2015

We've lost our As, Os & Bs in support of @GiveBloodNHS National Blood Week. #DonateBlood #MissingType pic.twitter.com/HpRYnvulXy

— Aunt Bessie's (@AuntBessies) June 9, 2015

To keep up with increased demand for blood the NHS Blood and Transplant need to encourage more people to donate. There are 40 per cent (120,000) fewer new blood donors than there were ten years ago, however demand has grown so much that they expect in the next few years there won’t be enough stocks left to help people who desperately need transfusions.

Jon Latham, Assistant Director for Donor Services and Marketing at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:

“We simply can’t ignore the fact that there has been a stark reduction in the number of new donors coming forward, a trend seen across the world. While we can meet the needs of patients now, it’s important we strengthen the donor base for the future.”

What is great about it, is that awareness is brought by major brands being involved, however the general public can easily get involved on social, sharing and tweeting support. The NHS Blood and Transplant are encouraging people to join in by posting a selfie with your name without any As, Bs or Os on a piece of paper or a placard. I got involved last night as you can see below.

#Repost @princesspinkpaw I’ve dropped my A’s B’s & O’s for #missingtype my next visit will be my 20th donation I would nominate my friends to donate but I’ve been trying to persuade them for years to donate and failed 😫

A photo posted by NHS Give l d (@givebloodnhs) on Jun 8, 2015 at 11:41am PDT

I have been donating blood since I was 18 my next donation will be my twentieth, so I am quite passionate about this campaign. Only myself and one other person in the Bronco office donate, although that number may be higher if some of the staff hadn’t been excluded. Those who don’t have explained this it is a lack of awareness about where they can donate and how the whole process works which has prevented them. This is why campaigns such as #MissingType are important to share awareness. Donating blood is pretty easy, with drop in centres and sessions held across the UK and getting people to think about donating is a huge achievement.

If this has encouraged you to go and donate, or simply would just like to find out more head to www.blood.co.uk where you can find out if you are eligible and to book an appointment. Go on – it’s only a small prick!