Virtual Donors Re-born to be Alive

Problem

In Belgium, many organ donations are missed simply because people never record their wishes. This often leaves families to decide in emotionally difficult moments, where they tend to decline if the donor’s wish is unclear, resulting in preventable loss of lives despite the existing opt-out system.

Background

The campaign addresses the gap between potential organ donors and those actually registered. Since one donor can save up to eight lives, we brought this life-saving mechanic into games like Minecraft, Fortnite and Baldur’s Gate 3 to deliver the message to younger generations.

Ambition

To make organ donation relevant to young gamers, turning awareness into official donor registrations. By closing the gap between wanting to help and actually signing up, it uses gaming mechanics as a real-world nudge to save lives, creating a model that can easily scale.

IDEA Get up to 8 lives. In-game and in the real world.

We envisioned a campaign that transforms losing a life in video games into a reminder of organ donation. In popular games, players who register as donors unlock a mod that grants eight extra lives to teammates upon their in-game death. This mirrors how one real-world donor can save up to eight lives, nudging players to register.

Gamifying organ donation to nudge a new generation toward official registration.

Role

Fortnite notification confirming Virtual Donor registration and explaining that the player’s death can save eight lives.
01

Concept development and campaign strategy

Developed the core creative idea that compares the loss of a virtual life to the real-world power of saving eight people through organ donation.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s Virtual Donor ability, which restores nearby party members to full health when the donor is downed.
02

Mod development and game integration

Partnered with developers to design and code custom mods for popular games like Minecraft, Fortnite and Baldur’s Gate 3, that technically trigger the eight extra lives mechanic.

03

UX/UI and web development

Designed and developed the official website, VirtualDonors.org, connecting the in-game experience directly to official government registration.

Campaign results graphic: 10 million people reached through press coverage.
04

PR and earned media strategy

Crafted the launch strategy and PR materials to secure national and international press coverage, positioning Belgium as a pioneer in gamified public health.

05

Community and influencer engagement

Involved popular gaming streamers and content creators to showcase the mods live, driving organic reach and peer-to-peer advocacy.

Virtual Donors website displaying “Ready to save 8 lives in real life?” and a “Register now” button.
06

Partnership management

Managed coordination across non-profit, gaming and government sectors to ensure the registration process was legally secure and easy to navigate.

White Virtual Donors logo on a blue, pink and orange gradient.
“Gamers lose lives all the time but only in pixels. We wanted to turn that familiar moment into something that matters beyond the screen.”
- Stephanie Keustermans, founder of non-profit Re-born to be Alive

Result

The campaign captured global attention, earning massive PR reach across gaming and mainstream media. More importantly, it drove a surge in official, real-life donor registrations, translating virtual gameplay into hundreds of potential lives saved in the real world.

  • 10M

    PR reach

  • +68%

    Real life donors registered

  • 12,000

    Potential lives saved

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IDEA Get up to 8 lives. In-game and in the real world.