The littlest heroes can save lives
Canadian Blood Services
Cord Blood Awareness ↗
Cord blood donation has the potential to save lives, yet many expectant parents in Canada have never heard of it. For Cord Blood Awareness Month, Canadian Blood Services launched the Littlest Heroes campaign to raise awareness and encourage registrations by reframing newborn babies as the true heroes of the story.
Working within an established national brand system, I adapted the campaign across print and digital touchpoints, translating a complex healthcare topic into messaging that felt clear, hopeful, and human.
Pregnancy comes with an overwhelming amount of information. The campaign needed to communicate quickly and clearly in busy environments, from hospital corridors to transit spaces. Through simple messaging, optimistic imagery, and accessible layouts, we helped expectant families understand both what cord blood donation is and why it matters.
Rather than focusing on medical procedures, the campaign highlighted the extraordinary impact newborns can have on the lives of others. Bright photography featuring mothers and babies, paired with a calm visual approach, shifted the narrative from clinical information to human possibility.
The result was a message designed to inspire action through empathy rather than urgency.
I developed layouts and adapted campaign assets for a wide range of formats while maintaining consistency within Canadian Blood Services' national brand guidelines. Deliverables included social media graphics, transit advertising, posters, brochures, hospital signage, and campaign toolkits for regional teams.
QR codes linked audiences to registration pages, helping connect awareness efforts with measurable engagement.
This project reinforced the importance of designing with both empathy and clarity.
For me, Littlest Heroes demonstrated how design can support public health not only by informing people, but by helping them see themselves in the story.
