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By Gillian West | Social media manager

April 22, 2014 | 2 min read

A hard-hitting message for those who are not first aid trained takes centre stage in a new campaign for St John Ambulance Western Australia.

Created by Perth-based The Brand Agency, the 60, 30 and 15-second creatives show a mother rushing to the aid of her drowning son only to find she’s prevented from rescuing him by an invisible barrier.

“That’s exactly what it’s like if you haven’t had first aid training, there’s a barrier preventing you from helping the other person. No matter whether it is a loved one or complete stranger, you feel instantly powerless to lend assistance,” explained St John general manager metropolitan ambulance, John Sherriff.

Craig Buchanan, creative director at The Brand Agency, added: “From a creative point of view we wanted the ‘barrier’ to be a simple metaphor for how it feels to be helpless and unable to save your child but it had to be handled in a sensitive manner.”

The integrated campaign includes radio, print and direct marketing with extensive online advertising supporting the TV ad’s message.

The Brand Agency media team handled the planning and buying for the campaign.