• by Todd Wasserman , August 1, 2022

In the beginning of this year, The American Red Cross announced it was facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Now, it’s fighting back, horror-movie style.

The organization has enlisted “Scream” star Neve Campbell to star in a new ad from BBDO, New York that questions horror movie cliches. In the beginning, a scary noise precedes a close-up of Campbell running up the stairs. “Why am I running from the killer instead of grabbing something big and sharp?” she asks.

Another shot features a teen boy and girl in a car. The boy then explains that “There’s a blood shortage and we came to Dead Lover’s Point—at midnight, on Friday the 13^th.” Then we see a killer with a hook, and the girl says “Lame!”

Campbell then continues, agreeing that it’s so lame because lots of people need blood for routine hospital emergencies plus “potentially getting stabbed.” Others then bemoan that they’re wasting their blood dying in a horror movie.

Campbell then delivers the killer stat: “Fifty percent of Americans like blood getting spilled in horror movies. What’s scary is that only 3% donate it.”

The ad then informs us that “Blood isn’t just for movies. It saves lives.”