BHF ‘The Noisy Generation’: Time to Keep on Rocking

Legacy donations might not be the most glamorous end of the charity fundraising market but with the average value of a will gift now rising to nearly £64,000 and worth an estimated £3bn each year to the sector as a whole, the income is not to be sniffed at.

Yet while most charities take a rather sombre approach to attracting legacy donations, the British Heart Foundation is aiming to be more upbeat – quite literally, it seems – with the launch of a new 60-second ad spearheaded by the 1973 Slade classic Cum On Feel the Noize.

“The Noisy Generation”, devised by Saatchi & Saatchi London along with Nexus Studios, opens at a reconstruction of a Slade gig, complete with Glastonbury-sized stage and head-banging audience. It then uses the concert as a backdrop to transport viewers on an archival journey through many of the transformative events of the 1960s and 1970s.

The crowd changes to represent key cultural moments such as the women’s rights marches, the anti-war movement, the emergence of the contraceptive pill, Concorde, punk rock and – naturally – the first heart transplant, all to the sound of the quintessentially British rock anthem.

The ad then switches to the modern day and a woman sitting alone contemplating her will as the voice-over states: “We were a noisy generation. But it might be something quiet that we do that becomes our greatest legacy.”

As the scene changes to show a heart research facility at work, the voice-over concludes: “Leaving a gift in your will to the British Hart Foundation would fund ground-breaking research that could help save millions of lives. Search BHF wills.”

Nexus Studios director Mischa Rozema said: “Shooting ‘The Noisy Generation’ was a wild experience. We built a full size festival mainstage, had kickass musicians perform in platform shoes and full glam, and even a hugely enthusiastic crowd of revellers. I’d say we came pretty close to a real 1970s Slade live show. Thanks Saatchi and the British Heart Foundation for trusting us.”

So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?

Well, with many in the Decision Marketing team “of a certain age”, we can actually remember most of the transformative events of the 1960s and 1970s, although even we are a little young to recall what we were doing when JFK got shot.

Still, you can’t beat a bit of nostalgia and, to be fair, this ad hits all the right notes. Even the Slade concert – which must have been fraught with potential pitfalls – is quite impressive.

Just one thing, wouldn’t have been nice if Slade’s original members – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Dave Hill and Don Powell – could have set aside their difference for a great cause and allowed the BHF to use original footage of them? Sadly, it seems, Mama, They’re All Crazee Now.

Decision Marketing Adometer: A ‘Coz I Luv You’ 10 out of 10