Novel Call to Action

From Medgadget:

On behalf of O'Canadian Red Cross, an ad agency Downtown Partners has placed life-size realistic decals of collapsed men and women at the bottom of stairwells at two Cineplex Odeon Theatres in Toronto. The campaign's goal was to mark World First Aid Day.

The company explains:

At first glance, the decal generates the impression that someone is lying unconscious and needs help, but as bystanders get closer to the decal they'll realize it's just a picture on the floor and read the accompanying copy, "Know what to do. www.redcross.ca." To reinforce the message, a first-aid instructor will be on location to demonstrate CPR and provide information about CPR and first aid classes, which were recently revamped to make the life-saving skill even easier to learn and administer.

"The creative is a very simple but impactful idea to help the Red Cross build greater awareness of their CPR and first aid training courses. The power of this idea lies in the visceral reaction it generates within people and how it forces many of us to reflect on our inability to react correctly in the situation," says Dan Pawych, creative director, Downtown Partners.

"A person is three times as likely to survive when a bystander performs CPR instead of waiting for paramedics to arrive," says Tracey Braun, national first aid advisor, Canadian Red Cross. "While many people learn CPR and first aid training in the workplace to meet safety standards, statistics show you are most likely to use those skills to save the life of a friend or family member and that's why we want to encourage all Canadians to get trained."