St. John Ambulance's Popcorn Ad: When Screen Meets Reality
November 9, 2010 by Traci McMurray
In this day and age, nearly all advertising campaigns are required to span mulitple platforms. Television commercials with websites, social media with online video, and so on. And while there are many campaigns going viral with flash mobs and other public stunts, I haven't seen any orchestrated quite like the St. John Ambulance campaign by BBH, London.
The ad played before a movie, and at first it seemed to be about a family enjoying the theater staple snack popcorn. A child in the ad begins choking, and as the mother's attempts to help fail she fearfully turns to the audience screaming for their assistance. At that point a member of the audience jumped up, ran to the stage and disappeared behind the screen, popping into view on the screen itself in time to save the child.
If the ad doesn't move you to sign up for a free first aid guide, I don't think anything will. The in-your-face experience is one that really hits home, thanks to the agency's research regarding the "first aid gap" and a targeted focus on first aid for the ambulance company.
Looking for a chance to make a big in-your-face impact? Contact Pomegranate and our Big Ideas Group to create a dynamic campaign using both traditional and new media.
