British Heart Foundation campaign emulates the heartbreak of loss

The British Heart Foundation has hammered home the sudden cruelty of heart disease in an emotive multi-channel campaign.

 

Called ‘Heart disease is heartless’, the campaign centres on a TV and cinema ad which shows a young boy about to lose his father to heart disease.

 

Carolan Davidge, director of marketing and engagement said: "This campaign marks the start of a long term strategy for BHF which aims to shift the way people think about heart disease.

 

"We want this campaign to give people an emotional punch, showing them that heart disease can rip people away from friends and family without warning."

 

 She added: "By making people contemplate the unexpected devastation that heart disease causes, we hope to inspire people to donate funds to continue BHF’s lifesaving research."

The campaign continues online, on outdoor ads and on mobile. A second, online-only film called ‘Amazing Dog’ taps the YouTube vlogger culture. It shows a woman filming her dog doing tricks before collapsing unexpectedly with a heart attack.

 

A third native ad for Skype shows a couple celebrating their anniversary via a Skype call, before one collapses on-screen.

 

Finally, a mobile ad asks users to hold their phones against their chests to simulate the feeling of a heart attack. Unexpectedly, their phone rings with an audio message stating that the "real pain" of a heart attack is a call to say a loved one is dead. 

 

Brand: British Heart Foundation

Agency: DLKW Lowe

 

(This article first appeared on MarketingMagazine.co.uk)