42 Day Guernsey.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and the Sydney Swans are reminding Australians of the ongoing need for blood donors in a campaign via M+C Saatchi.
At the heart of the campaign is the 42 Day Guernsey - a life-sized Sydney Swans jumper filled with deep crimson, blood-coloured liquid.
Housed at the Sellers and Colless Centre, Sydney Swans HQ, inside the Royal Hall of Industries Moore Park, the sculpture is slowly draining over the 42 days leading up to match day.
Almost 95% of Australians don’t know how long donated blood lasts, according to Lifeblood.
Winter also records the fewest blood donations nationally in 2025.
“Our match days at the SCG bring people together and this is a fantastic opportunity for our players, members and fans to rally behind something that can make a genuine difference beyond football,” said Sydney Swans CEO, Matthew Pavlich.
“Round 42 is about encouraging the AFL community to give back, because it’s the small, consistent acts of generosity that help save lives.”
The campaign culminates at the SCG when the Swans host North Melbourne in late August.
Round 24 becomes Round 42, with integrated stadium branding, LED takeovers, a guard of honour and donor recognition moments woven throughout the match-day experience.
As the countdown reaches zero, the final blood drains from the 42 Day Guernsey before refilling once again, resetting the countdown.
"Our partnership with the Sydney Swans has always been about using the power of sport to inspire action, and Round 42 takes that to another level,” said Lifeblood chief marketing officer, Jeremy Weiss.
“We’ve worked closely with M+C Saatchi to find a simple way to connect the Swans' iconic Bloods identity with the 42-day shelf life of donated blood, creating an idea that's impossible to ignore.
"It's the kind of creative thinking that helps turn awareness into action, and we hope it encourages more Australians to become regular blood donors."
The campaign launched on Wednesday July 15 at a media call attended by leading print, broadcast and digital media, generating coverage with a reach of more than 15 million people within the first 24 hours.
"Sometimes the hardest-hitting insights are the ones staring you in the face,” M+C Saatchi creative director, Kieran Moroney.
“For this Lifeblood campaign, we looked to the life of blood itself and found the simple truth at the heart of the idea.
“From there, 42 Days of Blood was born: a partnership, a sculpture, a public countdown and a new AFL event, all working together to create an unmissable reminder of what’s at stake."
The launch also marked the rollout of out-of-home advertising across Sydney and Melbourne, extending the campaign's reach and building momentum throughout the 42-day countdown to Round 42.
"The best partnerships create ideas that have impact beyond the campaign itself,” said M+C Saatchi AUNZ CEO, Dani Bassil.
“Round 42 brings together the Sydney Swans' platform, Lifeblood's mission and our shared ambition to inspire action, showing how creativity can help drive meaningful behaviour change."
Credits:
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Chief Marketing Officer: Jeremy Weiss
Head of Brand and Integrated Marketing: Bree Berg
Senior Manager Brand Strategy and Program: Rom D’Amico
Brand Partnerships Manager: Jo Lawson
Media and PR: Hannah Rayment
Senior Campaign Specialist: Becky Brownjohn
Sydney Swans
Head of Commercial Partnerships: Jad Maserow
Commercial Partnerships Manager: Sophie Atkinson
Executive General Manager – Customer: Natalie Fagg
Head of Media, Communications and Corporate Affairs: Tom Chadwick
Creative Agency: M+C Saatchi Australia
National Executive Creative Director: Jeremy Hogg
Creative Director: Kieran Moroney
Creative: Daniel Borghesi, Alexander Masson
Chief Strategy Officer: Simon Wassef
Client Partner: Louise Rutherford
Head of Sport & Entertainment: Jack Playfair
PR & Comms Lead: Jacqueline O’Neill
Senior Publicist: Jack Cousins
Account Manager: Alexandra Morris
Head of Integrated Production: Gemma Heyes
Design Director: Dutchy Baart
Integrated Designer: Kristopher McDuff
Media agency team
Paid media agency: Clemenger BBDO
Production - Vert Design Studio
Industrial Design Lead: Mitchell Brown
Industrial Designer: Georgia Graham
Production - Flint
Photographer/DOP: Andreas Smetana
Executive Producer: Belle Oliva
Additional photography: Phil Hillyard
