In the UK there is a rush among brands to create branded content. In doing so advertisers face two major barriers.

Firstly, having the confidence to make content that an audience wants to actively engage with (and not long ads).

Secondly, broadcast regulation. Product placement on TV remains off limits for many brands (alcohol, gambling, products that contain a high ratio of Fat Sugar Salt). For those that can, screen time is limited by a requirement to only appear when editorially justified. This over-regulation combined with broadcasters’ protracted processes for commissioning programmes results in very few opportunities for branded content in the broadcast environment.

We integrated our content within the UK’s longest running and most watched soap opera. It became part of their existing viewing routine.

For the 8m people who watch Coronation Street, the heart attack that we helped to create seemed unplanned by a brand. It became more shocking by happening to a character that our audience know and love.

For those who wanted to find out more we created 3 short films that ran adjacent to the credits of the show. The films gave details of the BHF’s phone line and web address where they could watch a specially created film.

Audrey’s heart attack got women across the nation to stand up and take notice of their hearts, and our idea made sure that the BHF were there to help them do something about it.

We ensured that Audrey’s ordeal was just the starting point for many women to avoid becoming just another statistic.

Our campaign created a massive 80% increase in awareness of the dangers of female heart disease. Among the 8.8m people who saw our films that night, that’s over 1m people whose attitudes were directly affected.

This wasn’t just a passive result – the BHF helpline experienced a surge in calls during the activity, a 20% uplift on normal call volumes. Meaning our fictional heart attack had resulted in people taking action to prevent heart attacks in the future.