It’s not just super important. It’s so easy, even a zombie can do it
Trying to encourage people to take responsibility for their own health and well-being is no easy task, says Geoff Craig, chief marketing and communications officer at Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada. So the national charity launched eye-opening and thought-provoking campaigns that were embraced by the public and awards committees… and a zombie or two always helps.
• Tapping into the zombie craze, Heart and Stroke introduced a CPR awareness campaign that included a three-minute video (viewed over one million times) from Agency59 set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Zombies perform CPR to save the life of a woman terrified into cardiac arrest—though she ends up zombified in the end. The effort culminated in a series of training events including an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for mass CPR and AED training. Heart and Stroke trained over 5,000 people during a Halloween-themed event at Canada’s Wonderland amusement park, breaking the Canadian and U.S. record. The effort took home three Media Innovation Awards including a gold in the branded content category.
• Building on the success of the 2011 “Make Death Wait” campaign, the Foundation launched “Make Health Last”—an integrated campaign from Lowe Roche urging at-risk Canadians to make lifestyle changes. The crux of the campaign was a dedicated website where Canadians could conduct a personalized risk assessment. Nearly one million people have taken the test, says Craig. The companion site won a Silver Lion in the Design competition at the 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation launched a version of the mainstream “Make Health Last” campaign aimed at South Asians, specifically those between 40 and 55. The effort, created by Toronto-based Monsoon Communications marked the first time the national charity targeted the South Asian community. The creative highlighted the fact that South Asians are three to five times more likely to suffer from heart disease and stroke than other visible minorities or Caucasians.
You can find out who will be named our Marketer of the Year on Jan. 29 at our Best of 2013 cocktail party. Want to attend? Lots of important people will be there. Visit us online for more information.
