British Heart Foundation Uses Benches To Celebrate Cardiac Survivors

British Heart Foundation (BHF) has launched “In Living Memory” with Saatchi & Saatchi, an integrated campaign marking the charity’s 65th anniversary by celebrating 65 survivors of cardiovascular disease whose lives have been saved by critical BHF-funded research.

65 commemorative benches - which will remain in situ for at least five years - will be installed across communities nationwide. Unlike traditional memorial benches, which honour those who have passed away, the “In Living Memory” benches celebrate those who’ve survived. Painted in signature BHF red, each bench bears the name of someone who is alive today thanks to treatments or scientific advances funded by BHF. Each installation celebrates a real person and a real scientific story, turning the familiar motif of a memorial bench on its head by commemorating those who have survived. 

Saatchi & Saatchi collaborated with Raw Research and BHF’s Heart Stories team to identify cardiovascular disease survivors and install benches in meaningful locations across the UK. Each bench is placed near the communities the survivors come from, allowing people to encounter powerful, locally relevant stories in everyday settings such as parks, high streets, and town centres.

The integrated campaign is built around real conversations and interviews recorded on the benches with survivors and their families. BHF and Saatchi & Saatchi filmed and photographed survivors spending time on the benches in their local communities, capturing natural, unscripted discussions about diagnosis, treatment, recovery and day-to-day life with a cardiovascular condition. These moments will be used in content across TV, social, online video, print, radio and press. 

The AV highlights the stark statistic that someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease every three minutes. It features real survivors, seated on their commemorative benches, sharing their personal experiences of living with and overcoming the illness.  

Creative imagery of the benches will also feature in an OOH campaign. The imagery will show each survivor seated on their own bench, photographed in a simple documentary style. The individuals featured span a wide range of ages, backgrounds and family roles, reflecting the broad and often unexpected reach of cardiovascular disease.

Media planning and buying for the campaign has been led by Omnicom Media’s PHD. Production across AV and social was led by Biscuit Filmworks x Revolver.

Damion Mower, Director of Brand at British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “Cardiovascular disease is one of the UK’s biggest killers, affecting eight million people from every age group and community. Yet, despite its devastating impact, research into it still receives far less funding than many other conditions. With In Living Memory, we’re shining a spotlight on the scale of the challenge, and the incredible difference research is already making. Every story in this campaign is a powerful reminder that continued support isn’t just important - it’s lifesaving.”

Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi says, “When pictures of our benches being installed around the UK came into our inboxes and this idea became not just real but permanent, I watched one of our producers break down with emotion. This extraordinary project is a feat of production, integration and collaboration. It means as much to us as it does each one of the sixty five people who now have living memorials in their parks, villages and towns to remind everyone in the UK about the importance of the British Heart Foundation's research and that  their donations save real lives.”

Credits

CAMPAIGN TITLE: In Living Memory

CLIENT: British Heart Foundation

ADVERTISING AGENCY: Saatchi & Saatchi

CCO: Franki Goodwin

ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Pete Ioulianou & Ollie Agius

CREATIVE TEAM: Lucy Norie, Hannah Underwood, Pete Ioulianou, Ollie Agius, Jacob Newton, Becca Duggan 

GROUP MANAGING PARTNER: Alice Kassapian

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Zara Hutchins

ACCOUNT MANAGER: Tamara Sirandula

ACCOUNT MANAGER: Stasa Lalovic

AGENCY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jodie Sibson

AGENCY INTEGRATED PRODUCER: Lucy Fuggle

AGENCY SENIOR INTEGRATED PRODUCER: Libby Cavenett

AGENCY SENIOR INTEGRATED PRODUCER: Zan Stepien

AGENCY PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Abdul Onipede

EXECUTIVE STRATEGY PARTNER: Emily Lewis-Keane 

PLANNING DIRECTOR: Jimmy Macaskill

PLANNER: Elena Georgiou

SENIOR CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER: Shane Horn

CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER: Ajay Sookraj

SENIOR DESIGNER: Natalie Alves

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Biscuit Filmworks X Revolver 

DIRECTOR:  Glue Society

DOP: Robert Farley

PROD CO MANAGING DIRECTOR: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean

PROD CO EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Daisy Mellors

PROD CO HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Emily Atterton

PROD CO PRODUCER: Tom Farley

PROD CO MANAGER: Dalia Saeed

HAIR & MAKEUP ARTIST: Ashleigh Haines

STILLS PHOTOGRAPHER: Derek Henderson

STILLS DIGI OP: David Deas

SOCIAL DIRECTOR & EDITOR: Nathan Miller

SOCIAL DOP: Jomar O’meally

CASTING, WELFARE AND PRODUCTION TEAM: RAW Research Casting

CASTING PRODUCER, 2ND UNIT DIRECTOR: Katie Moriarty-Hopper

CASTING PRODUCER, RESEARCH LEAD FOR BENCH PERMISSIONS & PLACEMENT: Ciara Kennedy

CAST AP (ON-SET): Sam Browne

RESEARCH APs (PERMANENT BENCH PERMISSIONS): Guen Murroni and Phil Reynolds

MEDIA BUYING AGENCY: PHD UK

MEDIA CLIENT PARTNER:  Claire Bullock

MEDIA STRATEGY PARTNER: Dom Whitehurst

MEDIA BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Laura Humphrey

MEDIA ASSOCIATE  DIRECTOR: Shirin Khanano

EDIT: Marshall Street Editors

EDITOR: Toby Conway-Hughes

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Joshua Sampson

EDIT PRODUCER: Lola Cookman

STILLS RETOUCHING: The Laundry Room

FILM POST PRODUCTION: Time Based Arts

LEAD ARTIST: Jamie Crofts 

COLOURIST: Simone Grattarola

COLOUR ASSISTS: Tom Matthews & Aiden Tobin

PRODUCER: Lily Barron

AUDIO POST PRODUCTION: Factory Studios 

SOUND DESIGN AND MIX: Dan Beckwith & Andy Isaias

AUDIO PRODUCER: Emily Thomas

SOCIAL FILMS AUDIO POST PRODUCTION: BLAB

SOUND DESIGN AND MIX:  Beresford Cookman

PRODUCER: Lola Cookman