Gift of Life's Hero Gum initiative revolutionized blood cancer donor registration by replacing clinical DNA collection methods with something unexpectedly simple: chewing gum.
Every 3 minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with blood cancer, and 20,000 Americans annually need stem cell transplants to survive. While 30% find matches within their families, the remaining 70% rely on donor registries. The challenge? Young people—the most eligible donors—avoid registration due to invasive cheek swabs and needles, especially post-pandemic.
Gift of Life needed a breakthrough. Inspiration struck when a 1980 cold case was solved through DNA extracted from chewing gum. This sparked an idea: Could gum become a viable DNA collection method for bone marrow matching?
Partnering with Labcorp, Gift of Life confirmed that Mars' DOUBLEMINT® gum, chewed for approximately two minutes, produces samples suitable for HLA tissue typing—the first collection innovation in over 20 years.
GOL partnered with Mars and rebranded DOUBLEMINT as Hero Gum, featuring vibrant orange packaging designed to appeal to younger generations with a lighthearted, accessible approach rather than clinical messaging.
The launch took place at a New York Mets game at Citi Field, where gum naturally fits the culture. NBC reported it as potentially the largest single-day drive in U.S. history, with over 42,000 attendees and hundreds participating, including Mets legend Ron Darling.
Results were immediate: 188% increase in Gift of Life's social media engagement, 269M total media reach, and 7.2M influencer reach. CVS and MLB inquired about partnerships, while Swiss Blood Stem Cells registry reached out to explore implementing Hero Gum internationally, and the World Marrow Donor Association invited GOL to present the initiative at their global conference in Madrid.
By transforming a familiar act into a life-saving opportunity, Hero Gum removed barriers to registration, making it easier and more appealing for diverse, younger audiences to join the fight against blood cancer—one stick of gum at a time.