The Woman Behind British Heart Foundation's ‘Til I Died: Claire Sadler

The British Heart Foundation's (BHF) chief marketing officer, Claire Sadler and her agency Saatchi & Saatchi took the hard-hitting ‘Til I Died campaign - calling for more funding into research to understand causes of sudden cardiac death - to the global stage, ahead of the UEFA Euros 2024 final in Berlin. The names, faces and stories of 12 young English football fans whose lives were tragically ended by heart disease were projected in locations across Berlin, ahead of the closing game between England and Spain.

The poignant campaign was created to emphasise the critical need for research funding by spotlighting those affected's unfulfilled dreams and aspirations.

It launched in June ahead of the tournament and was built on the insight that the nation is largely unaware of the devastating effect heart disease has on young people. The aim is to shift the perception of heart disease and raise awareness that it can strike anybody regardless of age.

'Til I Die began with 12 individual hand-painted murals in the hometowns of the 12 football fans, including Birmingham, Cardiff, Chesterfield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Southampton. Each of the young people depicted, all passionate football fans, had their promising futures cut short, leaving behind shattered dreams and unfulfilled aspirations ‘Til They Died.

This emotive campaign is deeply personal - reflected in the hometown locations of each mural and connecting local communities with the wider audience.

The marketer behind 'Til I Die

Sadler joined the BHF in January 2021 in her current role as executive director of marketing, fundraising and engagement. She was previously marketing director at Direct Line, which she joined in 2017. Before that, she spent 13 years at BT, having started her career on the agency side at Proximity London.

As a marketer, connecting with communities seems to be Sadler's super-power. At Direct Line, she was tasked with growing the direct small business insurance market and launched the 'Keeping Up With Your World' campaign n 2018 - also created by Saatchi & Saatchi. That followed the journey of a dynamic female business owner rising from self-employment to growing and running her own business.

Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership (WACL) recently announced Sadler as its vice president in July when Karen Stacey will step up to president.

A well-respected 'WACLer', Sadler is known to be to be a compassionate leader. When she first joined BHF her brief was to reboot the brand and rebuild its income which had taken a hit during the lockdowns of 2020. This latest campaign is not just a testament to the impact that marketing can have for a brand, but Sadler has perhaps created one of the most powerful (and poignant) marketing moments of this year thus far.