Despite Germany’s advanced healthcare system, every day 3 people die waiting an organ transplant.
Mainly because the government has maintained an “opt-in” system that requires explicit consent, instead of passing reforms and implementing a national organ donor register. This has left bereaved family members, unaware of their loved one’s choice, as final decision makers.
So while 84% of Germans support organ donation, only 0,001% eventually donate.
Yet, all it takes to “opt-in” is carrying proof of consent - whatever its form. 1 in 4 Germans are inked.
IDEA
#OPTINK is a free tattoo to become an organ donor, a statement and legitimate proof of will for final decision-makers: relatives.
We exploited a culturally relevant behavior to transform a neglected topic into a significant conversation-starter, turning tattoo artists and new organ donors into permanent advocates for the cause – all for free, through the power of culture We harnessed the power of bragging rights, leveraging the shareability
of tattoos to turn social media into the unofficial national organ donor database.
DESIGN
Half a circle receives another half to become whole, symbolizing the gift of life that is organ donation. Designed by acclaimed artist Gara and medical professionals to be unmissable, universal, modular and scalable. The minimalistic geometric shapes form the letters “O” and “D” for Organ Donor.
RESULTS
•Media Momentum: #OPTINK exploded across traditional and social media channels, with +3 billion impressions making organ donation a hot topic nationwide.
•Cultural Movement: Riding on this wave, #OPTINK transcended its campaign status, becoming a pop icon (including a question on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?”) and inspiring fashion, gaming and digital expressions, instilling an organ donation culture in a country previously without one.
•Permanent & Concrete Advocacy: This cultural embrace turned skin into manifestos of support, with +700 tattoo studios becoming donor recruitment centers and +1,000 artists advocating for life (97% of whom reached out to join the cause), marking a shift from awareness to action.
•The Donor Impact: The ripple effect was measurable—10,000 individuals marked with #OPTINK tattoos equated to 10,000 donors, totalizing 70,000 potential lives saved.