Marie Curie’s touching advert highlights the work of its nurses throughout the night
One of the country’s biggest charities has launched its first TV and radio advertising campaign since it rebranded earlier this year.
Marie Curie, which now provides care and support to people going through all terminal illness and not just cancer, hopes to highlight to the public the tireless work of its nurses throughout the night.
The TV ad "Light in the darkest hours", which began airing this week, features a real Marie Curie Nurse, Elizabeth Woolley, who has worked for the charity for seven years and also cared for her own father and mother at the end of their lives.
Directed by Tom Tagholm (Meet The Superhumans), the ad shows the sun setting on a city scene and a ball of glowing light, arriving at a home at 10pm.
During the night the light moves around the home and as morning comes, we discover that the light was in fact a Marie Curie Nurse, revealed as she leaves the house at the end of her shift.
Jude Bridge, executive director marketing, fundraising and public affairs for Marie Curie, said: “This ad is rooted in the real life experiences of people who have been cared for by our Marie Curie nurses.
“We wanted the advertising campaign to focus on the nursing care we provide to people through the night at home and the impact this has on loved ones.
“Families often talk about our nurses as being a light in the darkest hours and we hope the ad will help us reach more people at a time when they need it most.”
The advert was produced by Saatchi and Saatchi and will run throughout October.
Radio advertising, featuring real stories from carers, will run alongside the TV ad campaign on radio stations across the UK during October.
Elizabeth, the Marie Curie nurse in the advert, added: “My job can be difficult, both emotionally and physically, but the satisfaction you get from being able to provide one to one care and support overnight is so rewarding.
“For me, I’ve loved nursing from the moment I started and I still do. It is just for me. My grandmother was a nurse just after the First World War, so it runs in the blood.”
