Are You the Missing Type?

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Sep 16, 2016 | Kimberly Schmidt | @kimberlyd

Imagine trying to read or travel if all of the signs were missing A's, B's, and O's. It wuld e quite hrd t understnd wht yu re reding r where yu re ging withut the letters! (It would be quite hard to understand what you are reading or where you are going without the letters.)

The “Missing Type” campaign was launched by the United Kingdom's National Health System Blood and Transplant Division during National Blood Week in 2015. They asked brands, organizations, and influencers to remove A, O, and B (the letters that make up the blood groups) from their websites, twitter names, and signage without explaining why. It was then revealed that the letters had mysteriously gone missing to highlight the need for new donors. Letters disappeared across America, in the UK, Australia, Japan and Ireland. The campaign was a huge success that generated tons of media coverage and over 30,000 registered donations.

Here are some examples from the campaign:

This year our Blood Donor Program joined the international "Missing Type" campaign to bring attention to the need for new blood donors. All blood types are critical to ensure a healthy blood supply for our patients.

Have you seen the "Missing Type" posters around Mayo Clinic?