Emma United Colours Of Blood Ad Campaign

The United Colors of Blood anti-racism campaign was launched by EMMA on 14th August 2001, following a series of U.K. race riots. This campaign, designed by Saatchi & Saatchi, was placed in bus shelters all over Oldham, (Greater Manchester) which was the location of several race riots earlier in the year.

Unveiled in August 2001, EMMA’s anti-racism campaign United Colours of Blood was created after the race riots in Bradford, Oldham and Burnley due to the activities by the Far Right. The aim of the campaign was to highlight a common bond between human beings and to give the communities the chance to work together in donating blood for each other. This has been reflected in the poster wording below that states ‘Black, White, Brown or Yellow. Whatever the colour of your skin, we’re all the same underneath.” This is more relevant today than ever due to the rise of the Far Right and race riots taking place throughout the world.

The Blood Donor campaign was a huge success with local authorities organising several blood bank centres. EMMA Media received letters of support for the campaign from Nelson Mandela and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The campaign won the prestigious advertising award from Campaign Magazine’s Annual Press Awards in March 2002. It is the second advertising award that has been presented to EMMA.

The campaign beat quality competition for “Best Financial and Corporate Advertisement” from The Army (Saatchi & Saatchi), Land Rover (Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R), Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (Faulds), Volvo (Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO) and The Labour Party (TWBA/London) for their successful general election campaign. EMMA founder and director Bobby A. Syed said of winning the award, “We are extremely honoured and excited by this recognition towards EMMAs corporate stance against racism in any shape or form, which ultimately highlights our positive multicultural agenda.”

Ajab Samarai, art director at Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “We had designed a simple advert with a powerful message that touches all our existence, ’Blood’, this has become our second award with EMMA, which we are all extremely proud of.” The ethnic minority community in Great Britain, after mass migration in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, now symbolises the continued bond that presently exists between many global cultures. It also highlights the growing multicultural depth within this country, as a growing generation in the U.K. become British through multicultural developments via music, food, fashion, and an enriched urban lifestyle. The anti-racist, blood donor campaign was conceived as a means to rebuild multicultural confidence throughout Britain, which was damaged recently due to race riots taking place in the Northern areas of England.

14th and 15th August 2001 symbolises the 54th anniversary and day of celebration for the Independence of Pakistan and India from the British colonial rule in 1947. There needs to be peace in that region as it will help the lives of the poor.

Beyond promoting multiculturalism, EMMA also founded the EMMA Multicultural Solidarity campaign week by encouraging the British public to register for blood donations, from the 10th to the 14th September 2001. The contributions were meant to assist the National Health Services by having the general public participate, allowing human life to thrive regardless of one’s ethnicity.

This is more important now than ever before as human rights are fundamental for our existence, which represents the sacrifices during World War II.

Award Winning Ad: 2002