The Blood Count: Mixing Horror Tropes with a Life-Saving Mission

// The challenge

Blood donation often carries a heavy, clinical, or fearful connotation. Stanford Blood Center needed a way to break through preshow fatigue in local movie theaters and address common donation myths — with something that felt cinematic, not like a dry medical plea.

// The strategy

• Concept & Scripting: Leaned into the "Classic Horror" genre, using a Dracula-inspired protagonist to playfully address misconceptions about blood loss and needles.
• Storyboarding & Art Direction: Storyboarded sequences to mirror big-screen aesthetics — dramatic lighting and comedic timing.
• Creative Direction: Oversaw script to final production, keeping humor sharp while the call-to-action stayed clear.

// The result

Humor lowered the barrier for first-time donors, making SBC feel approachable and modern rather than clinical. The PSA ran in South Bay theaters as a pre-show placement and was lauded across the circuit — before becoming a long-term educational asset on SBC's digital channels.