Lincoln Alumni Create Compelling UEFA Euro 2024 British Heart Foundation Campaign

Sudden cardiac death is referred to as a “silent killer”, often going undiagnosed until too late as there are generally no prior symptoms or warning signs. The poignant campaign, “England ‘til I died”, cleverly plays upon the popular football chant, bringing it a new and emotive meaning, underlining the importance of scientific study and fundraising needed to better understand this illness.

Launched to coincide with the start of the UEFA EURO 2024, it tells the real-life stories of 12 young England fans who passed away suddenly after experiencing cardiac arrest. The 12 were honoured in commemorative murals painted onto walls in their respective hometowns to bring awareness to the alarming statistics that every single week in the UK, 12 young lives are tragically lost to sudden cardiac death.

Pete Ioulianou and Ollie Agius, both University of Lincoln graduates and Senior Creatives at multinational ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi, fulfilled a brief which supports BHF’s aims to raise awareness across the UK that cardiac death also impacts young people, and fund research into finding a cure.

Speaking about their work, Pete and Ollie said: “It’s been a privilege and an honour to work on this campaign using the same skills we learnt on the Creative Advertising course at the University of Lincoln all those years ago. Seeing our idea out in the real world and having such a positive impact for a truly important cause has been very special.

“We were briefed to change the perceptions of heart disease and to increase the sense of urgency around the cause. People tend to think it only affects the elderly, the overweight, the unfit. But the truth is, it can strike anyone, anywhere, any age, any time.

“The football chant ‘England ‘till I die’ was the key. Once we changed it to ‘died’, we knew we had something and that the Euros would therefore be the perfect time to launch, hopefully leading to more awareness.”

Damion Mower, Director of Brand at the British Heart Foundation, commented: “Our new campaign is a powerful reminder of the impact of sudden cardiac death. Behind every mural is a family who have lost a loved one too soon, and our teams at the BHF have worked closely and sensitively with them to ensure their relatives are remembered in a touching way.

“We thank our creative partners at Saatchi for their sensitivity and care in portraying the stories through the campaign creatives. We are truly thankful to the families who have agreed to remember their loved ones to help us urgently raise awareness and funds towards research into heart and circulatory diseases.”

To donate to the BHF, please visit their website: www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/donate.