When a popular beer brand launched its #InOurblood campaign as part of its sponsorship of the recent British Lions and Springboks rugby test series, it also saw an opportunity to help boost the country’s dwindling blood supplies.
So, Castle Lager partnered with the South Africa National Blood Service (SANBS) to encourage more South Africans to donate blood.
During a visit to Cape Town last Thursday, Castle’s marketing manager Sphe Vundla said the campaign aimed to encourage citizens to donate blood and boost the dwindling blood stocks.
Mr Vundla said sport – particularly rugby – was in South Africans’ blood, hence the campaign.
“The campaign was about the lack of blood donors in the country. Sport is in our blood. We then said let us use this to urge and call out people to donate blood so as to save lives. Less than two days after the launch, the supply was high. We were able to galvanise people to donate,” he told Vukani.
However, he urged people to continue donating blood.
SANBS communications officer Khensani Mahlangu, said the partnership had helped create new opportunities for them.
Through corporate sponsorships, she said, “we often get the opportunity to reach new, captive audiences that we ordinarily do not reach through our targeted marketing,” she said.
Asked why people should donate blood and where they could do so, she said: “Blood literally saves lives. It cannot be manufactured and there is no substitute for it, even with all the scientific technology available these days. Donors give people second chances at life by donating just one pint of blood every 56 days.”
To find out more about where you can donate blood, visit www.sanbs.org.za or call 0800 11 90 31. You can also @theSANBS on Twitter and Instagram, and @SANBS on Facebook.
