adam&eveDDB NY Turns Chewing into Chance to Save a Life with 'Hero Gum'

Signing up for the stem cell registry just got a whole lot easier — and tastier — thanks to a bold new initiative from Gift of Life Marrow Registry. In collaboration with Labcorp, a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, and DOUBLEMINT®, part of Mars, the nonprofit is introducing Hero Gum, a first-of-its-kind donor registration kit that pairs a stick of gum with a scientifically validated method for DNA collection.

By chewing a piece of gum for just five minutes, individuals can provide a viable sample for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing and join Gift of Life’s marrow registry — the first step toward potentially saving a life. Developed in partnership with creative agency adam&eveDDB New York, the initiative will debut at Citi Field on August 1 during the New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants game, where the Gift of Life team will distribute hundreds of kits to fans. An animated film by Unsaid Studio will also air on the Jumbotron ahead of the game.

Designed to remove barriers to registration and engage younger, more diverse audiences, Hero Gum reframes the donor sign-up process as quick, accessible, and even fun. The campaign kickoff taps into the energy of live sports to drive awareness and inspire action, addressing major gaps in donor availability:

• Every three minutes, someone in the US is diagnosed with blood cancer.
• Around 20,000 Americans need a stem cell or marrow transplant each year.
• Only 30% of patients find a match within their families. The remaining 70% rely on strangers through donor registries.

“For decades, we’ve worked to make joining the registry more accessible — and Hero Gum is one of our most creative approaches yet,” said Marti Freund, COO at Gift of Life Marrow Registry. “By turning something as familiar as chewing gum into a potential life-saving act, we’re introducing a fresh, engaging way to connect with younger communities and expand the diversity of our donor base. At its core, this campaign is about broadening awareness and saving more lives.”

Labcorp, which performs testing for the registry, has validated that DNA-rich cheek cells left on chewed gum can be reliably analysed to identify HLA tissue markers, the genetic “fingerprint” used to match donors with patients battling leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers and disorders. The closer the HLA match, the greater the likelihood of a successful transplant and full recovery.

“Labcorp is proud to power the science behind this innovative and potentially life-saving initiative,” said Dr. Brian Caveney, Labcorp's chief medical and scientific officer. “By teaming up with Gift of Life, we’re helping turn a simple act into an opportunity to become a much-needed donor — and advancing our mission to improve health and improve lives.”

“An innovation-based idea like this one takes years to realize, but it’s the kind you dream about as a creative - deceptively simple, genuinely useful, and impossible to ignore,” said Brynna Aylward, CCO at adam&eveDDB US. “The team took ordinary chewing gum and turned it into something that could save someone’s life. By making the process feel easy and even fun, we’re hoping to reach people who might never have thought about joining the bone marrow registry before.”

​Mussashi Shintaku, creative director at adam&eveDDB New York added, “Hero Gum is an idea that’s been close to our hearts for over two years. Many of us on the team personally know someone who’s been affected by blood cancer, and that connection drove every part of the process. From day one, we set out to turn something as simple and familiar as chewing gum into a powerful, life-saving act. Time only made the idea stronger, with more major brands coming on board along the way. Bringing it to life with Gift of Life has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career.”

adam&eveDDB developed the campaign idea with a suite of creative assets to bring Hero Gum to life across multiple consumer touchpoints. Components included a 60-second PR film, a 30-second animated film, campaign stills, PR boxes, digital and social banners, a custom landing page, custom gum packaging, testing kit envelopes, and activation print materials.

Animation was brought to life by Unsaid Studio, with Omnicom Studios supporting the live-action production. Music composition and licensing were handled by Human Worldwide and APM. The campaign is supported by W Communications North America, which is providing PR support to help raise awareness for Gift of Life’s vital work.

Safe, non-invasive, and convenient, Hero Gum kits are designed for distribution at high-traffic events, college campuses, and community centers across the US In addition to the stadium activation, Hero Gum will be available online starting July 23 here.