Pablo creates CPR manikin for a new audience

New Pablo campaign for Resuscitation Council UK encourages people to learn CPR to save lives

By Creative Salon

12 October 2022

80% of cardiac arrests happen at home and are therefore more likely to affect someone close to you, a family member or someone you live with.

But sadly, performing this life saving skill is one of the first aid measures that people feel least confident performing, this is in part due to a lack of understanding of how to perform CPR. With this in mind, Resuscitation Council UK came to Pablo with a vital brief: get as many people as possible to learn CPR and to save lives.

First came a new version of the Resuscitation Council UK logo turning it into a unique QR code, aptly named, the ‘CPQR’ code, that actually can give you the skills to help save a life. Scanning it takes you directly to the key steps of CPR. This will appear on all future communications and all PR activity.

Next, we turned our attention to the CPR manikin used to teach resuscitation in the likes of schools and community centres, in order to engage as many young people as possible in learning CPR. This was really important as we know that young people feel less confident about performing CPR than adults but in countries where CPR education has been taught early in schools, the survival rate from a cardiac arrest is as high as 70%.

Pablo partnered with Lifecast, a company that makes medical grade models used to teach medical professionals critical life-saving techniques. But we needed to give our new manikins a makeover to move us beyond Resusci Anne (the original manikin, whose face is taken from the deathmask of a nameless woman found in the Seine in 1958) in order to resonate with a younger, more diverse audience. Into the breach stepped Connor Swindells, rising Hollywood star known for his role as Adam in Sex Education (which made him a great choice for a younger audience) and his upcoming role in the new Barbie film directed by Greta Gerwig.

The Connor Swindells manikin is the first of a series of diverse manikins that Resuscitation Council UK plan to launch in the near future, more representative of the society in which we live. The first manikin of Swindells is set to go on a tour around schools, community groups and workplaces across the UK in a bid to boost Britain’s ability and confidence to perform life-saving CPR.

This will be supported by an entertaining, tongue in cheek film “The Manikin You’d Want to Save”, featuring Connor himself, performing the basic skills needed to perform CPR, as well as activity on TikTok and other social channels. A national OOH campaign featuring the ‘CPQR’ code will also push the initiative, driving the audience to learn the key steps of resuscitation in just under two minutes. And we don’t just want to stop with younger people. More activity will follow utilizing the CPQR code to get more people learning this vital life skill.

James Cant, Chief Executive at Resuscitation Council UK said “When somebody goes into cardiac arrest they are effectively dying before your very eyes, so, bystanders need to act quickly and confidently to give them the best chance of survival. This is why it’s crucial that as many people as possible learn the very basics of CPR.”

Tim Snape and Dan Watts, Executive Creative Directors at Pablo, said “CPR is such an important life skill but one that is sadly overlooked in today’s society. We’re proud to partner with Resuscitation Council UK on the push to teach more people these simple skills, and help a new generation fill a knowledge gap that really could save a life. It’s just the tip of the iceberg of our relationship with Resuscitation Council UK.”

Creative credits:

Resuscitation Council UK

Chief Executive Officer - James Cant

Director of Communications and Engagement - Esther Kuku

Media & campaigns manager - Stella Hindle

Digital Marketing Officer - Katie Sixsmith

Senior Communications and Brand Manager - Emily Pulham

Communication and Design Officer - Victoria Gadsden

Pablo / Production credits

Executive Creative Director - Dan Watts & Tim Snape

Creatives - Tom Gong & Claire Guiller

Exec Producer - Charlotte Lipsius