• by Les Luchter , Yesterday

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, founded 76 years ago, has rebranded as Blood Cancer United, and launched its first national ad campaign in over a decade.

“Our name didn’t reflect the full scope of who we are or speak to the entire blood cancer community,” while the new name “unites all 100+ types of blood cancer,” Blood Cancer United CMO Lynn Godfrey said in a statement.

Blood Cancer United also points out that the “Leukemia & Lymphoma Society” was “long, hard to pronounce…and the word ‘society’ felt distant and unwelcoming.”

The new name debuted Aug. 28 via a custom dynamic digital poster on NASDAQ’s billboard outside its Times Square headquarters, with an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” by spokesperson Suleika Jaouad, a journalist (The New York Times’ “Life, Interrupted” column)” and subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary “American Symphony” dealing with her battle against leukemia (also starring her husband, musician Jon Batiste).

Jaouad is “helping to amplify our message that all blood cancer patients have a supportive community with Blood Cancer,” Godfrey tells Marketing Daily. “Suleika is a trusted voice in the community, embodying the theme of our campaign—that people with blood cancer are so much more than their diagnoses.”

That theme has been amplified in a paid media campaign from Aug. 28 through Sept. 12, that has featured spots on ABC and ESPN college football games, as well as on Roku, Hallmark Channel, MeTV, HGTV, Hulu, Disney, Paramount+, and SiriusXM.

The TV spot comes in two different versions, each in English and Spanish, and each in :15 and :30 lengths (English ones here and here). One of them is also in :60 for both languages (English ones here and here).

The commercials do not mention Blood Cancer United’s former name, which means they're designed to reach “the broadest audience -- which is mainly people who are unfamiliar with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,” says Gordfrey.

The name change, however, is the subject of static ads running on digital and social.

Another campaign feature is out-of-home, set for New York City, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago. The OOH will run from the end of September through October and again in March.

Blood Cancer United’s campaign aims “to reach our current patient families and supporter communities, as well as engage those blood cancer patients… and health care providers who are not familiar with our organization,” Godfrey says, “so they can access the information, support, and services they need.”

She adds that “building awareness and motivation to current and potential donors and fundraisers to support our mission is also a priority” and that the campaign hopes to “raise public awareness about blood cancers and its multi-generational impact on children, young adults, parents, and seniors.”

Agencies involved with the name change and campaign include JKR for branding, Invisible Man for creative, MODCO for brand media, and Delve for performance media.