Abbott & Big Ten Conference ”We Give Blood Drive”
The 7th Annual Awards
- Best Engagement for Good
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
Abbott and the Big Ten Conference launched a first-of-its-kind partnership, aimed at tackling the greatest blood shortage in a generation. Through a conference-wide blood drive competition, the partnership put rivalry and school spirit to the test as the conference’s 18 member universities competed to see which fan base would donate the most blood, positively impacting lives across the country.
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
This campaign fosters meaningful connections between students, alumni, and communities through the shared, life-saving mission of donating blood. This initiative not only encouraged participation but also united fans around the Big Ten to help save lives.
The We Give Blood drive set a new benchmark in fan engagement by leveraging the platforms of Abbott, the Big Ten Conference, all 18 Big Ten universities, and Media partners (FOX, NBC, BTN & CBS) to drive fans to come together off the field. Over 20,000 individuals participated in blood drives, resulting in over 60,000 lives saved. This level of engagement shows how sports sponsorships can be more than the traditional assets by creating a tangible and positive impact in society.
Looking ahead, using a 360 campaign (conference, schools, sponsor, media partners) sets the path for future sponsorships by showing how the power of fandom can be harnessed to drive social good. It showcases the potential of connecting people to causes they care about through unique and community-based experiences.
Objective
Abbott and the Big Ten Conference launched a first-of-its-kind partnership, aimed at tackling the greatest blood shortage in a generation. Through a conference-wide blood drive competition, the partnership put rivalry and school spirit to the test as the conference’s 18 member universities competed to see which fan base would donate the most blood, positively impacting lives across the country.
Strategy & Execution
Leveraging the nation’s largest collegiate fan base, and prominent celebrities (Big Ten alumni), the We Give Blood Drive initiative is designed to motivate Big Ten students, alumni and fans to donate blood by tapping into school pride. The school with the most donations received a $1,000,000 check to advance student or community health along with significant bragging rights for helping save the most lives.
Launch event at the Big Ten headquarters with a live press conference featuring NFL legend Tom Brady, Commissioner Tony Petitti, and Abbott CEO Robert Ford. Campaign was promoted in various ways including 18 on-campus blood drives, 9 Gameday activations, sizzle reel videos from all 18 Big Ten Football Head Coaches, stadium and arena signage across all campuses, 56 National Broadcast spots and Takeovers, 250 original custom storytelling across top-tier consumer, business, sports and local outlets, 20+ interviews during a satellite media tour with Big Ten Chief Medical Officer, digital and social campaigns across various outlets, enlisting former/current Big Ten athletes and social influencers to drive campaign awareness (Tom Brady, Archie Griffin, Matt Leinart, Tevin Coleman, Jake Butt, etc.), and an on-field $1,000,000 check presentation to the winning school (University of Nebraska) during the Big Ten Championship.
Organizations
- Abbott
- Big Ten Conference
Links
Credits
Tyler Kupper
VP, Corporate Partnerships
Big Ten Conference
Chris Miller
Divisional Vice President of Global Brand Strategy and Innovation at Abbott
Abbott
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