BHF kicks off DM agency review

The British Heart Foundation has launched a major review, and is talking to agencies about its direct and digital marketing – as well as advertising – accounts to ensure it is getting value for money.
Spearheaded by AAR, the review will see Arthur London, The Good Agency and Grey repitch for their accounts against a raft of other businesses. It is understood agencies will be in place by the first quarter of 2014.
BHF head of social marketing and brand Nick Radmore said: “To make every donated penny count in the fight against heart disease, we’ll be testing the market to ensure we continue to produce life-saving campaigns that punch well above their weight.
“Our advertising partner, Grey, has done – and continues to do – a great job producing brilliant work. Along with our other agencies – including Arthur and The Good Agency – they have contributed to a great year.”
The charity’s most recent work features footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones, which is designed to raise awareness of ‘hands only’ CPR, and includes the line: “No kissing. You only kiss your missus on the lips.”
Backed by The Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive”, Jones carries out compressions on a man’s chest and states “Remember call 999, ’cause hard and fast is staying alive. Hands only CPR. It’s not as hard as it looks”.
The campaign was recently the subject of an Advertising Standards Authority investigation after the watchdog received 20 complaints, claiming the ad was harmful and likely to encourage unsafe behaviour, because they believed it showed incorrect CPR techniques.
Rejecting the complaints, the ASA concluded that it did not believe the ad would encourage trained individuals to override their own CPR training, and, that since it was made clear Jones was promoting hands only CPR, the ad was not harmful and did not encourage unsafe behaviour.

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