Scalpel
Doctors Without Borders Canada — John St
About this project
Scalpel is a 2016 humanitarian campaign for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada, created by john st. and directed by Olivier Staub. Built around the idea that donor support travels a long way, the film reverses the journey of a missing surgical scalpel — from a field operation room, back through MSF's chain of aid, to a Canadian donor whose act of signing a cheque becomes, in the final match cut, the scalpel placed in the surgeon's hand. The campaign launched in September 2016 across film, print, and web, timed deliberately for the fall donation season.
Director's Statement
"Scalpel was built around a strong and clear idea: your support goes a long way. This thought triggered the treatment. I envisioned turning the path of a donation into an emotional journey across distance and logistics. The twist would be that the film travels backwards from a missing scalpel in a field operation room, through the chain of people needed to bring aid where it is needed. What seems like a simple gesture from a donor can become the difference between life and death in the field. The final match cut brings the metaphor together: the pen signing the donation would become the scalpel on the surgical tray."
Print / OOH
Doctor Without Borders OOH Poster
Click image to enlarge
Credits
Details
Awards
Press
Other Versions
Tags
Scalpel
Doctors Without Borders Canada — John St
2016
About this project
Scalpel is a 2016 humanitarian campaign for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada, created by john st. and directed by Olivier Staub. Built around the idea that donor support travels a long way, the film reverses the journey of a missing surgical scalpel — from a field operation room, back through MSF's chain of aid, to a Canadian donor whose act of signing a cheque becomes, in the final match cut, the scalpel placed in the surgeon's hand. The campaign launched in September 2016 across film, print, and web, timed deliberately for the fall donation season.
Director's Statement
"Scalpel was built around a strong and clear idea: your support goes a long way. This thought triggered the treatment. I envisioned turning the path of a donation into an emotional journey across distance and logistics. The twist would be that the film travels backwards from a missing scalpel in a field operation room, through the chain of people needed to bring aid where it is needed. What seems like a simple gesture from a donor can become the difference between life and death in the field. The final match cut brings the metaphor together: the pen signing the donation would become the scalpel on the surgical tray."
Print / OOH
Doctor Without Borders OOH Poster
Credits
Director — Olivier Staub
Chief Creative Officer — Angus Tucker (John St)
VP Creative — Stephen Jurisic (John St)
Art Director — Sebastien Lafaye (John St)
Copywriter — Cedric Audet (John St)
Account Director — Melissa Tobenstein (John St)
Account Manager — Jaclyn Cooper (John St)
Strategic Planner — Megan Towers (John St)
Agency Producer — Cas Binnington (John St)
Producer — Stéphanie Beaudin (MileInn)
Producer — Vlad Doclin
Editor — Hubert Hayaud
Color Grading Artist — Benoit Coté
Original Composition — (Apollo Studio)
Local Servicing House — Nicolas Corte (The Big Picture)
Awards
Marketing Awards — Bronze (Online Film Single, 2017)
CREA Awards — Winner (Film, 2017)
CREA Awards — Winner (OOH, 2017)
Applied Arts — Winner (PSA, 2017)
Act Responsible Awards — Golden Palm (, 2017)
Press
Fast Company — Doctors Without Borders' Scalpel campaign traces donations back to the field, directed by Olivier Staub: https://www.fastcompany.com/3063753/doctors-without-borders-wants-you-to-know-exactly-where-your-donation-dollars-go
AdsSpot — Doctors Without Borders/MSF Scalpel print ad by John St: https://adsspot.me/media/prints/doctors-without-borders-msf-scalpel-d464efc7cf68
Isarta Infos — Scalpel, la première campagne pour Médecins Sans Frontières Canada signée john st.: https://isarta.com/infos/scalpel-la-premiere-campagne-pour-medecins-sans-frontiere-msf-canada-signee-john-st/
Ads of the World — Doctors Without Borders: Scalpel campaign credits and case study: https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/scalpel
Grenier aux nouvelles — Une campagne de Médecins Sans Frontières qui fait du chemin: https://assets.grenier.qc.ca/fichiers/campagnes/0926/2016-09-26.pdf
Strategy Online — 2017 Marketing Awards winners, Scalpel (Bronze, Online Film Single): https://strategyonline.ca/2017/06/13/marketing-awards-the-winners/