Current Inter Miami midfielder in the MLS, Blaise Matuidi, who is a former PSG and Juventus star and a 2018 World Cup winner with France teamed up with The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi France to front a fundraising campaign which raises awareness of the dangers emergency, volunteer health workers face in war zones around the world.
Targeting young adults in Europe and Africa, ‘Unknown Heroes: The Unconventional Request of a Footballer’ highlights the frightening facts that more than 3,780 attacks were perpetrated against ICRC health personnel and Red Cross infrastructure between 2016 and 2020 in conflict zones across 33 countries around the world.
As well as highlighting the admirable and brave work of war surgeons, conflict zone doctors and nurses who cared for 1.3m patents (and performed 130,000 surgeries) in ICRC supported hospitals in 2020 alone, the ICRC also aims to use the campaign to reaffirm its principles of neutrality and independence and to treat all victims – regardless of their side.
Launched on 19 May, the PSA/charity campaign aims to get people around the world cheering for a war surgeon with the same degree of passion and fervour as they cheer for their football teams and favourite soccer stars.
The creative, which highlights the UN Security Council’s 3 May 2016 resolution on the protection of health care in conflict, features Matuidi and a war surgeon (played by an actor) and draws a parallel between the preparation, mental strength, dedication, and passion Blaise Matuidi and the war surgeon need to help their team / their patients. But, as Matuidi points out in the video’s final scenes, it’s a basic truth that these surgeons will never be as recognised as football stars – even if they deserve it.
The umbrella message is that, like your favourite football team, health-care workers need your support. The creative urges viewers to help doctors and nurses working on the frontlines and seeks to drive them to the Red Cross website to sign up and support them in saving lives.
The creative approach takes viewers through a surgical operation as if we were watching a big match: from the camps of South Sudan to Paris, Brazil, Barcelona and the suburbs of Manchester, fans from around the world witness the war surgeon’s accomplishments on the medical field and his inevitable rise to fame after achieving his feat.
From interviews to front-page news, awards, hordes of journalists and video game avatars, our protagonist gets the same idol treatment as the planet’s biggest football stars. The film, which was directed by Stéphane Barbato, questions what the world values and is particularly relevant today as important health issues dominate global headlines.
“Attacks on doctors, nurses and medical centres do not get nearly as much attention as they should. We hope this campaign will help generate as much support for protecting health workers as the world’s best football players regularly receive from their fans,” said Jennifer Hauseman, ICRC Director of Communications and Information Management.
The campaign was created for the ICRC Head Of Community & Digital Engagement Siane Monreal, Digital Tactics & Activation Lead Jesper Astrom, Audiovisual Producer Didier Revol, Global Social Media Manager Nora Livet and Public Relations Officers Florian Seriex and Chris Hanger by Saatchi & Saatchi France.
The creative agency team included Managing Director Olivier Després, Creative Director Pierre Viallaneix, Art Director Laëtitia Chretien, Copywriter Jean-François Le Marec, Head Of Strategy Yann Chervet, Group Account Director Vanessa Launay, Account Director Jonathan Mira, Account Manager Jessica Xavier-Cochelin and TV Producer. Thierry Delesalle.
The production company was Prodigious with Director Stephane Barbato, Producer Bastien Barbanel, Production Director Frederic Lubin, Chief Editor Marie Raffy and Business & Legal Affairs Team Flore Bernot, Cécilia Neyroud and Catherine Oger.
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