Interactive film highlights importance of first aid

Hard hitting interactive film from St John Ambulance dramatises life and death consequences of not knowing first aid

The difference

St John Ambulance has launched Popcorn - a thought-provoking interactive film campaign - highlighting that first aid can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. www.sja.org.uk/popcorn

Dramatisation

The film, set in a packed cinema, begins as a fictional advert featuring a happy family enjoying popcorn. The tone dramatically changes as one of the children starts choking and the mother, not knowing what to do, turns to the unsuspecting cinema audience for help.

An actress disguised as an audience member, suddenly stands up and shouts that she knows what to do while running up to the front of the cinema. The woman disappears behind the screen before appearing within the advert and using first aid to save the young girl's life. She then reappears in the cinema while the advert plays out with a message explaining how viewers can receive a free pocket first aid guide.

Screened at Cineworld Cinema in Haymarket, London, the Popcorn film was developed in response to up to 150,000 people dying each year in situations where first aid might have given them a chance to live. The charity is urging more people to equip themselves with life saving skills and to send the film to friends and family to spread the message.

Learn life saving skills

Sue Killen, CEO, St John Ambulance comments: 'First aid saves lives but our research has found that most of us wouldn't know what to do if confronted with a common emergency, like choking. We wanted to devise a dramatic simulation which would make people take notice of the issue, and press them to get life saving knowledge.  Too many lives are being lost when they could be saved, this is unacceptable and as the nation's leading first aid charity we are determined to equip people to be the difference.'

Act now

St John Ambulance is committed to ensuring everyone has the basic first aid knowledge that could save someone's life. To get your free pocket sized guide, just text SAVE to 82727 or visit the St John Ambulance website for more information on the campaign www.sja.org.uk/popcorn. You can also get advice on your iPhone with the St John Ambulance first aid app, available through iTunes.