M+C Saatchi Installs Blood-Draining Guernsey Outside Sydney Swans HQ

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and the Sydney Swans have unveiled ‘42 Days of Blood’, a new integrated campaign created by M+C Saatchi. Theming Sydney’s upcoming Round 24 match as ‘Round 42’, the campaign is a powerful reminder of Australia's ongoing need for blood donors.

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. It is a visible countdown transforming an invisible fact into something impossible to ignore.

Inspired by the 42-day shelf life of red blood cells, the campaign highlights a little-known fact with striking visual impact -- as new Lifeblood research reveals almost 95% of Australians don’t know how long donated blood lasts.

It also launches at a critical time, with winter recording the fewest blood donations nationally in 2025. Using one of Australia's biggest sporting stages, ‘42 Days of Blood’ encourages more Australians to donate regularly.

The creative extends across owned, earned and paid channels, with out-of-home and digital out-of-home creative evolving over the campaign period to show the blood gradually disappearing from the guernsey, reinforcing the need for regular donations to keep Australia's blood supply strong.

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 and symbolising the role every donor plays in keeping Australia's blood supply replenished.

Sydney Swans CEO, Matthew Pavlich, said, “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.

“Round 42 is about encouraging the AFL community to give back, because it’s the small, consistent acts of generosity that help save lives.”

Lifeblood chief marketing officer, Jeremy Weiss, added, "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.

"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."

M+C Saatchi creative director, Kieran Moroney, said, "Sometimes the hardest-hitting insights are the ones staring you in the face. 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."

M+C Saatchi AUNZ CEO, Dani Bassil, added, "The best partnerships create ideas that have impact beyond the campaign itself. 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."

The campaign launch generated coverage with a reach of more than 15 million people within the first 24 hours. 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'.