Spanish Red Cross uses music to help recognize symptoms and warning signs related to cardiovascular health. The organization has launched “Take care of your potato”, a campaign developed by Manifesto that transforms information about prevention and action in the event of an emergency into a song designed to be easy to remember.
The proposal is based on a colloquial expression: using “potato” as a synonym for heart. From this, the agency builds a campaign that combines dissemination, music and humor to address cardiovascular health without resorting to the fear or drama common in some health communications.
At the center of creativity is a song whose lyrics include some of the main cardiovascular symptoms and warning signs. But the rhythm is also part of the message: the piece is built at 105 beats per minute, a tempo located within the recommended range for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compressions. In this way, Red Cross and Manifesto seek that the creative execution itself helps to establish information that may be useful in an emergency situation.
“When you work with a topic as important as cardiovascular health, the challenge is to get people to pay attention and remember the message”explains Óscar Moreno, Executive Creative Director at Manifesto. The agency has decided to move away from some of the most common codes of health communication. “We decided to build something simple, positive and memorable. ‘Take care of your potato’ has humor, but behind it there is very serious and very useful information”says Moreno.
Choosing a song as a vehicle for information allows you to work on the message through repetition and memory, while the 105 beats per minute introduce a second utility in the musical construction itself. Thus, the rhythm, the lyrics and the creative concept respond to the same objective: to make information related to heart care more memorable.
The Spanish Red Cross also focuses on access to knowledge as a preventive tool. “Prevention is one of the fundamental pillars to maintain and protect health. Likewise, guaranteeing that knowledge reaches the entire population is essential, since an informed and trained citizenry has the potential to intervene appropriately in risk situations and save lives”explains Sandrine da Cunha, Health Knowledge Area Technician at the Spanish Red Cross.
“Take care of your potato” will be deployed over the coming months through different channels and formats. The content will be aimed at facilitating the recognition of symptoms, promoting prevention habits and improving knowledge about how to act in the event of a possible cardiovascular emergency.
The campaign also represents a new joint project between the Spanish Red Cross and Manifesto. The agency is once again in charge of the strategic and creative approach of an initiative to raise awareness of the organization.
