This is a stunning piece of creative work by Y&R. It has beautifully crafted animation, pulsing with emotion and a call to action.
It shows us a decaying city and its depressed citizens pulling together to rebuild New York City. They gather their resources to rebuild its heart, sending new energy pulsing into every corner. Even the Statue of Liberty breathes a sigh of relief.
They ask us to “Keep New York alive.”
Now at this point, I’m all in.
I thought they are going to ask for volunteers to help revamp depressed areas or tell me about the improvements as the economy has recovered.
I was sure they’d want my money, support or time, to help make NYC vibrant again.
But no – they want my liver.
The curve ball is that this isn’t about saving the classic architecture or rescuing old neighbourhoods from decline. Its citizens aren’t depressed because of the decay.
In a weird and disconnected twist this ad finishes asking us to become organ donors and keep people alive. People…
I think the message needs CPR.
Drop a line in the comment box, I’d love to hear what you
Kathy Reeves Consulting 
It doesn’t do it for me. Yes, it’s cute, and has the twist at the end, but my hunch is it wouldn’t make enough people actively change their behaviour to become donors. I’m happy to be proved wrong with any stats on it’s effectiveness.
Compare this to ‘Immortal Fans’ – O&M Brazil’s integrated campaign for donor recruitment for fans of Club Recife Sport football club. I was a judge at Cannes in 2013 and was proud to have awarded the work together with my fellow judges. Granted, it’s not a fair comparison in terms of ad ‘v’ ad, but the deeper thinking, concept and relevance make this a standout campaign.
Thanks for writing Mark. The O&M ad is a brilliant campaign. The tape they created to go with it really pulls out the emotional stops. This feels relevant and motivating, in a full circle way that shows integrated advertising at its best. Thanks for sending it.