In Living Memory: Saatchi & Saatchi and British Heart Foundation celebrate the lives saved by science in new nationwide campaign

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.”

Source: Saatchi & Saatchi

  Advertising, British Heart Foundation, Campaign, Marketing, OOH, Saatchi & Saatchi, UK