Attention, all South African brands.<\/p>\n
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) wants to (temporarily) \u201csteal\u201d a few letters from your name.<\/p>
But it\u2019s for an excellent cause.<\/p>\n
In an innovative bid to attract new, young blood donors, the blood service will again take part in the international Missing Type campaign, from June 11 to 18.<\/p>
The campaign asks organisations to remove the letters A, B and O (symbolising the \u201cmissing\u201d blood types with the same letters) from their logos or names for a week.<\/p>\n
Since launching globally a few years ago, the initiative has notched up phenomenal success, spurring thousands of new blood donors to sign up worldwide.<\/p>\n
The SANBS hopes this irreverent \u201cdisappearing act\u201d will similarly weave a special kind of magic here, where only one per cent of South Africans give blood regularly.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine life without the letters A, B and O \u2026 let alone playing Scrabble,\u201d said Silungile Mlambo, the SANBS\u2019s chief marketing officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth African big businesses have the power to change the fact that our country faces constant blood shortages \u2013 and save lives at the same time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re asking local brands, sports teams, corporates and landmarks to tweak their logos and \u2018donate\u2019 their As, Bs and Os for just a week.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeleting the letters of the main blood groups from your company\u2019s name in your adverts, email signatures and other marketing material is a fun and interactive way to raise awareness of South Africa\u2019s urgent need for new blood donors.\u201d<\/p>\n
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ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n Blood stocks are dangerously low<\/a><\/p>\n Blood donors recognised for helping to save lives<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Missing Type campaign runs from June 11 to 18, with World Blood Donor Day falling on June 14.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really is critical for the SANBS to replenish blood stocks at this time of year, with the school holidays just around the corner.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will inevitably cause a spike in the demand for blood transfusions,\u201d said Mlambo.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are confident that our #MissingType campaign will help boost supply by capturing the imagination of South African businesses and their employees.<\/p>\n \u201cSo come on, CEOs, shed your As, Bs and Os \u2013 patients need them more than you do.\u201d<\/p>\n Mlambo said sports teams will also be asked to throw their support behind the campaign, while the public can get involved by deleting the \u201cblood types\u201d from their names on social media for the week.<\/p>\n Visit www.sanbs.org.za or call 0800 11 90 31 for more information or to find out where to volunteer as a blood donor.<\/p>\n Join the #MissingType conversation on Twitter (@theSANBS), Facebook (@SANBS) and Instagram (@thesanbs).<\/p>\n The GCN is also on board with the initiative and dropped our O for the week.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Have a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za<\/a><\/strong> or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist)\u00a0kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:<\/p>\n Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n YouTube\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Or add the GCN on\u00a0<\/b><\/span>WhatsApp 079 406 1181<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>today, to get all the latest news.<\/p>\n Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers\u00a0<\/span>Bedfordview Edenvale News<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Alberton Record<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Kempton Express.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n