Report: ‘MY FRIEND PINTO’ STARS EXTEND THEIR SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION

Poster for RRC - placed at colleges

This report is regarding the tie up that MDACS had with the Stars of My Friend Pinto.

On the occasion of the International Youth Day, MDACS decided to tie up with Prateik and Kalki Koechlin, the actors starring in My Friend Pinto, to promote Voluntary Blood Donation. This strategy was used mainly because our target audience was the youth who could so relate to these young stars.

About Voluntary Blood Donation:

Voluntary blood donors are the cornerstone of a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products. The safest blood donors are voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors from low-risk populations.

For a safe blood service in our country, where comprehensive laboratory tests are neither possible nor pragmatic, it is best to switch over to 100% voluntary donations, as it is now established that only voluntary non-remunerated regular donation is the safest. Thus, one of our key strategies to enhance blood safety is to focus on motivating non-remunerated blood donors and phasing out even replacement donors.

Who is a Voluntary non-remunerated Blood Donor?

Print Ad

1. A person who gives blood, plasma or other blood components of his/her own free will and receives no payment for it, either in the form of cash or in kind which could be considered a substitute for money.
2. "Voluntary" blood donation refers to "unpaid, non-remunerated" blood donation.
3. An altruistic donor who gives blood freely and willingly without receiving money or any other form of payment.

Target Audience: YOUTH

Objective:

• Reach out to the Youth
• Remove shyness and hesitation surrounding condoms
• Raise awareness about HIV
• To reach the maximum number of people possible
• The tie-up was initiated in those areas where our target audience have maximum exposure resulting in more number of people getting the message

What we did:

• We went into a partnership with the film makers of the movie MY FRIEND PINTO.
• We shared all possible communication platforms with them. While they promoted the film amongst the youth, the stars Prateik and Kalki carried the message of Blood Donation to the youth.
• Known faces like the stars of the film go a long way in spreading the message and also help retain it among the youngsters of today.

Media used for promoting this event:

1. Posters for RRC


These were put up at colleges that were tied up with the Red Ribbon Clubs (RRCs) to promote voluntary blood donation. More than 100 colleges participated in this event.

2. Print Ads

These were given in the following newspapers that have a large readership.

               a. Bombay Times
               b. DNA
               c. HT

3. Hoardings

Eight hoardings both in English and Hindi were placed at strategic points to catch the attention of the public. These had the pictures of the movie stars – Kalki & Prateik – promoting Voluntary Blood Donation.

Here are the pictures of some of the hoardings placed in strategic positions around Mumbai:

1. Kurla West: Outside Railway Station; 2. Dadar West: Outside Railway Station near Platform 1;
3. Mumbai Central near Maratha Mandir Theatre; 4. Bandra West: Outside Railway Station;
5. Andheri West Railway Station: Track-facing; 6. Malad West Railway Station: Track-facing

IMPACT:

• Was able to reach a wider audience with a limited budget
• Was able to leverage the alliance by implementing an effective and Cost Efficient campaign
• Higher visibility due to association with known stars

Report: IYD SPECIAL FEATURE

Dr. Kudalkar felicitating the Chief Guests

The Finale was graced with the presence of the 'My Friend Pinto' stars - Kalki and Prateik.

They came to support the 'Fight against HIV'. In a meeting with them, they were told that this campaign was organized keeping the youth in mind. Safe Sex Practices and Use of Condoms is a must among the youth to stay safe and protected from infections, especially HIV

Kalki Koechlin

Kalki, very boldly told the youth:

“It is very important to keep yourself safe. We are so happy to see that organizations such as MDACS are working so hard to spread awareness and ensuring that youth is safe. So please stay protected and use condoms”

They were also briefed about the excellent work done by the RED RIBBON CLUBs of MDACS. The two actors were quite impressed with the students who were doing such a great job. That’s when Kalki and Prateik volunteered to become members of the Red Ribbon Club.

Prateik

Here's how it happened:

   • Kalki and Prateik were appointed RRC member
   • Dr. Kudalkar, Project Director, MDACS led Kalki and Prateik on stage.
   • Dr. Kudalkar thanked them for being a part of the IYD campaign and encouraging the youth
   • Kalki and Prateik offered their wishes to MDACS and the youth
   • Dr. Kudalkar was requested to appoint Kalki and Prateik as RRC members
   • Kalki and Prateik were given RRC ID cards
   • Dr. Kudalkar RRC handed over certificates stating that they were RRC members

RRC award

College students who are members of the NSS (National Service Scheme) do community service throughout the year. Those who are interested join Red Ribbon Clubs (RRCs) and help spread awareness of HIV/AIDS among their peers and also in the community they live in.

MDACS gives them all an agenda for conducting activities throughout the year that they execute in their respective colleges and community. The ones who excel in their service are given awards by MDACS.

This year, the awards were given away by actors Kalki Koechlin and Prateik.

Award Ceremony:

The awards were distributed under the following categories to those mentioned under them.

Prateik and Kalki distributed Awards

Best Students Leader

• Mumbai City: Amar Jadhav, Siddharth College
• Western Suburb: Mohini Bhavsar, Ghanshyamdas Saraf College
• Central Suburb: Prithviraj Chauhan, Acharya College

Best Peer Educator

• Mumbai City: Aishwarya Menon, KC College
• Western Suburb: Priya Kanakia, Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Management
• Central Suburb: Priyanka Zanje, Acharya College

Best RRC

• Mumbai City: Ambedkar  College, Wadala
• Western Suburb: Thakur College of Science & Commerce
• Central Suburb: Acharya College

Prateik and Kalki did the honours along with Project Director, Dr.S.S. Kudalkar. The students were thrilled to receive the awards from the stars.

Kalki & Prateik become RRC Members

Kalki and Prateik swear in as RRC members

After the awards were distributed, the winners came back on stage to be part of the swearing-in ceremony where Kalki and Prateik took their oaths as RRCs members and promised to do service to the public in spreading awareness of HIV/AIDS. And that’s how both the stars became RRC members, much to everyone’s delight.

It was an ecstatic moment for the winners as they were the chosen ones who recited the oath while Kalki and Prateik followed them.



NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS