This is a campaign about using creativity to save lives. 30 lives to date.

Every year around 60,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest out of hospital in the UK. A cardiac arrest is a medical emergency when the heart stops pumping blood around the body. Only an average of 7% (4,200 people) survive to be discharged from hospital. However, if someone can get the blood circulating again immediately by carrying out chest compressions before and ambulance arrives, this can double survival rates. This technique is officially known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) used communications to increase rates of CPR in the UK amongst any bystanders who might witness a cardiac arrest. The creative idea was about a product demonstration with a difference. The campaign used an unexpected celebrity, humour, music and mnemonics to get people to memorise the five steps of CPR. Key was getting people to realise they should push hard and fast on the chest to the beat of the music of ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by The Bee Gees.

Our Communications Objective:

Mass awareness of the new ‘Hands-only CPR’ technique

Results: Post campaign tracking showed 86% of the population recognised the campaign and, of those, 33% spontaneously recalled it. This was despite a small budget of £2m for production and media.

Our Behavioural Objective: Mobilise the UK and get as many potential bystanders as possible to step in and perform CPR when they witness a cardiac arrest.

Results: Neither the government nor the National Health Service measures bystander CPR rates. However, our tracking showed that the campaign increased people’s claimed likelihood to perform ‘Hands-only CPR’ from 54% likely to perform to 71% likely to perform. Meanwhile, the London Ambulance service also recorded an increase in bystanders stepping in to perform CPR.

Our Ultimate Objective: Save lives.

Results: The government does not measure CPR rates or successes either. However, to date, 30 people have directly contacted the BHF to tell them that the Hands-only CPR communication helped saved their lives or helped them to save the life of a loved one.