Where are the letters A’s, B’s and O’s? Some of the biggest companies and brands in the world are missing letters on their signs but the reason is not vandalism. All of these signs are missing the specific letters A, B, and O as a part of the #MissingType campaign, which aims to highlight the lack of blood groups of above-mentioned letters. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service started the initiative last year and has now expanded to take it at an international level with the involvement of blood services across 21 countries. A survey taken in various countries by the National Health Service, including Japan, Brazil, Canada, USA, indicated a decrease of 27.6 percent in the total no. of new donors compared to a decade ago. In the USA alone the need for blood is great. According to the Red Cross – which is participating in the #MissingType campaign - every 2 seconds, someone is in need of blood i.e. 36, 000 blood transfusions per day. Iconic marks such as “I Amsterdam” sign in Netherlands, Sydney Opera House in Australia, Microsoft in the UK, financial service giant Morgan Stanley are missing letters in their signs. Similarly, popular newspapers in UK such as Daily Mirror, internet giant Google UK, and soft drink company Coca-Cola have followed in the fun. The campaign has also brought attention to the fact that gay men cannot donate blood. Although the ban has been lifted, gay men still have to go through a strict procedure and clinical testing before being eligible. Red Cross hopes that these signs will encourage people to give their “letters” and fill the need. Image: indpendent.co.uk