How did we DOOH it? British Heart Foundation

12 people under the age of 35 are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK each week. A nationally representative survey has revealed that over a quarter of Brits (27%) don’t believe a heart condition can affect you if you are aged under 35. Meanwhile, over half (53%) of Brits said that high-profile incidents of cardiac arrest – such as Christian Eriksen suffering a cardiac arrest at the Euros 2021 – made them more aware of heart conditions generally. (Source: www.bhf.org.uk).

This heartfelt campaign was brought to life as the British Heart Foundation called for more support in achieving funding to aid their lifesaving research, which will help put a stop to this tragic reality.

Using the buzz of the upcoming UEFA Euros was the ideal time to home in on the large crowds that were getting ready for the start of the big tournament. Using stories of real football fans brought a sense of reality to those unaware of how common this disease is.

So we went on the search to find great mural sites that were in proximity to each person’s hometown. A total of 11 sites were found for the creation of 12 portraits, with one site having two portraits, each was selected for their high footfall areas and in proximity to each of the families. The murals were painted in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Chesterfield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Southampton.

During the creation of the murals, we found a sense of realism from the anecdotes told by the painters who were on location. Many of the families visited the sites as they were being painted and were often moved to tears by the realism and impact of the murals of their loved ones. They spent time with the artists and were so grateful for the memorials.

Some of the murals remained up until well after the Euros had finished, a lovely gesture of support from the landlords. At every level of this campaign, people felt honoured to be working on this powerful and moving campaign and it showed with the level of teamwork and grace how challenges were overcome.

To further drive the campaign home, the British Heart Foundation took the campaign internationally to Berlin. Whilst fans flocked to the final Euros match, chanting “it’s coming home,” we projected 8 of the people depicted in our murals onto surrounding buildings. It was important to ensure that even though they couldn’t watch the match, they would still be in Berlin to support the Three Lions.