NHS England has launched a campaign entitled ‘Act Fast’ to raise awareness of stroke symptoms.
The ad is part of the ongoing ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign which was released in partnership with London agency M&C Saatchi.
According to the health body, the ad aims to increase awareness of early stroke symptoms and aims to encourage the public to call 999 if they suspect they are experiencing one.
As part of the campaign, Various Films director Tom Tagholm, who directed Channel 4 Paralympics ‘Meet the Superhumans’, shot a 30 second bit with scenarios highlighting the main symptoms of a stroke.
These scenarios include someone struggling to use a paint roller, a person not being able to smile when watching TV, and someone slurring their speech when reading a story to their grandchild.
NHS England deputy director, head of marketing and social team, Phil Bastable said: “The new Act FAST campaign aims to raise awareness of the signs of a stroke that may be overlooked. It’s crucial to recognise that when a stroke first presents, the symptoms are not as dramatic as people might expect, but just one sign could be a medical emergency.
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“Building on the success of our previous Act FAST campaign, which significantly increased awareness of the symptoms of strokes, this new initiative encourages the public to act without delay if they experience any one symptom.”
With media planning and buying handled by Wavemaker and MG OMD respectively, the work will run across TV, radio, social media and print.
M&C Saatchi UK group CEO Jo Bacon added: “This campaign is a great example of how M&C Saatchi are working with the NHS to tackle some of the biggest societal challenges, showing how potentially overlooked stroke symptoms need to be acted upon quickly.
“We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.
“We are incredibly proud to help build awareness of this important issue and encourage everyone to act quickly when it really counts.”
