Organ Donor Ad Has People Talking

Organ Donor Ad Has People Talking


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Shelley Osterloh ReportingA year ago the Utah Donor Registry started a series of ads featuring a taxi cab driver and her passenger talking about organ donation. The last spot in the series seems to have upset a lot of people.

Organ Donor Ad Has People Talking

In the taxi cab -- in a half a dozen ads -- the driver Leah and her passenger talk about the myths and misconceptions people have about organ donation. But this month the ads took a different tone and viewers have reacted.

Public Service Announcement: "Hey Leah, where’s Leah? This is her cab.
”Sorry Leah died yesterday.”
“She died? What happened?”
”She was waiting for a heart transplant, but it never came."

As soon as the spots hit, the Intermountain Donor Services got phone calls and e-mails, adding up to more than 40.

Ben Dieterle, Intermountain Donor Services: "Some are upset about it because of the portrayal of someone dying waiting for a transplant. And some other people called to ask if Leah had really died. If she did they wanted to express their condolences."

Kerri Adams called at the urging of a co-worker who was upset by the ads.

Vicki Schoenfeld: “And I said, ‘You've got to find out if this is really true or if this was just a shock tactic.’"

But Adams --- who donated a kidney a year ago -- thinks the ads are great because they tell the real story behind organ donation.

Kerri Adams, Kidney Donor: “I think 20 people die per day waiting for organ donation and to me that’s more offensive than this ad. And we all need to take responsibility to help with that.”

Whatever the reaction, we had no trouble finding people who had seen the spots and remembered them. And whether people like the message or not, at least one expert not involved in the campaign says if viewers react, remember and talk, the spot is effective.

Curt Dahl, Bonneville Communications: "If you can get your cause out there and get people talking about it, then you've accomplished your goals."

Just so there is no confusion, the cab driver was played by an actress who is alive and well and pursuing her career in Milwaukee. And it is true, 20 people die every daywaiting for a organ transplant.

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