Vinnie Jones Teaches YouTube a Lesson
Let’s be honest, here. PSAs don’t often make for interesting ads. Aside from a few graphic and shocking anti-drinking and driving spots we can think of, most of them don’t exactly race up the viral charts.
But the British Heart Foundation ignored that bit of common sense and made a hugely entertaining ad that explains, of all things, how to correctly perform hands-only CPR. You know Vinnie Jones, big time tough-guy actor from films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels? He brings out his whole thuggish schtick to encourage viewers to, for lack of a better term, man up and learn how to perform CPR.
Far too many people are afraid to get involved when someone needs CPR. But whether it’s because they don’t know the technique, they don’t recognize when it’s needed or because they’re simply uncomfortable with mouth-to-mouth, Jones’s PSA efficiently cuts through their concerns. It’s punchy, memorable, and has already picked up over 1.4 million views on YouTube alone. That’s a lot of eyes for a potentially life-saving PSA to reach, and many more people have seen it on other sites and on television.
It seems that some kudos are deserved here, so bravo to the British Heart Association for a great ad.
