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‘What would Jesus do?’ asks provocative organ donation ad

A provocative new ad campaign featuring Jesus dying on the cross has been released to promote the registration of organ donors in Australia.

The two minute ad, which was made to promote the ‘Dying to Live’ documentary, was made by filmmaker Richard Todd and directed by Richard Bullock. It features Jesus dying on the cross as two guards approach him to humorously prod the religious figure into donating his organs.

The documentary and ad campaign was based on research which found 70% of Australians are willing to donate their organs and tissue, but only 36% are actually registered donors.

“That is why it is important for every Australian to know they can register online via www.dyingtolive.com.au, and to have a conversation with their family. Even if you have already registered, your family can still veto your decision in the hospital during what is of course a very distressing time, and it is important therefore to ‘own’ this decision together,” Todd said in a statement.

The ad campaign for the documentary takes a humorous approach to Jesus’ death, with guards making jokes about not all people going to “eternal paradise” for donating their organs, to which Jesus responds “obviously, I would do it, I am Jesus”.

“We, the Australian public, have it in our power to go from one of the lesser-performing transplant countries in the developed world to one of the best. What a wonderful Christmas present for Australians on the transplant list whose lives are often defined by uncertainty, pain and deteriorating quality,” Todd added.

Production company Revolver/Will O’Rourke was also involved in the making of the ad campaign.

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