The Drying Flag

Creative idea

The Drying Flag campaign replaced the Latvian national flag with a new one reducing its identifying dark red color to a proportion corresponding to the real percentage of active blood donors in the nation. This new flag was then installed on public flagpoles throughout Latvia, replacing the real national flag on official and prominently visible sites, such as state buildings and business enterprises. As a public visual intervention, it offered audiences an icon to which they identify strongly and demanded emotional attention. Although the author of the flag was not immediately clear, people sought for the information themselves due to the strength of the message that the flag delivered.

Brand name: Latvian State Blood Donor Centre
Advertiser / client: Latvian State Blood Donor Centre
Product / service: Blood Donation and Transfusion Service
Campaign name: The Drying Flag
Agency network: MCCANN WORLDGROUP
Agency: McCANN Riga
Agency chief executive officer: Valters Jonats
Creative director: Valters Jonats
Art director: Miks Bergmanis
Account director (agency): Dita Mertena
Strategic planner / strategist: Janis Petersons
Agency producer: Toms Ķelderis