The cast of the CBS hit series “Rules of Engagement” has teamed up with the American Heart Association to release a new digital video “Rules of Hands-Only CPR.”
Filmed in the style of the sitcom, the short asks Americans to learn the life-saving skill of Hands-Only CPR and can be viewed at YouTube.com/HandsOnlyCPR. Supported by a $4.5 million grant from the WellPoint Foundation, the campaign will contribute to the American Heart Association’s goal to double survival from cardiac arrest by 2020.
The Bee Gees' classic “Stayin’ Alive” – which is the near-perfect rate for doing chest compressions during CPR – remains the centerpiece of the association’s Hands-Only CPR awareness campaign. “Rules of Hands-Only CPR” imagines a casual dinner conversation between two couples as they discuss the reasons for learning Hands-Only CPR. Newly engaged sweethearts, Adam & Jennifer (Oliver Hudson, Bianca Kajlich) assist their enthusiastic friend Audrey (Megyn Price) in teaching her macho husband, Jeff (Patrick Warburton), the simple steps to save a life. Just as the scene is coming to a close, Timmy (Adhir Kalyan) bursts in in his finest white disco suit.
“Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps. There’s no excuse not to learn this life-saving skill,” said Megyn Price, Rules of Engagement cast member. "If a teen or adult suddenly collapses, call 9-1-1 and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” until help arrives."
Nearly 400,000 Americans suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year, and almost 90 percent die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene. When begun immediately, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
“People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct compression rate when trained to the beat of ‘Stayin’ Alive,’” said Alston Inaba, M.D., the American Heart Association CPR instructor credited with first using the song to help students recall the right rate of compressions. “Not only is it a fun, catchy and memorable way to remember what to do, but it works – people’s lives have been saved because of it.”
Hands-Only CPR Campaign Elements The campaign uses entertainment and humor to deliver serious lifesaving messages through the launch of TV and radio public service announcements, digital promotions, a one-minute animated Hands-Only CPR “how to” video and a multi-city mobile CPR training tour.
- CPR mobile tour A first for the organization, the state-of-the-art interactive CPR mobile tour will visit at least 24 cities over the next three years to teach thousands of people the easy steps to save a life. In 2012, trainings are being held in New York City; Albany, N.Y.; Richmond, Va.; Atlanta; Indianapolis; and four cities in California: Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego.
- Hands-Only CPR “How To” Video This one-minute animated video walks viewers through the easy steps of Hands-Only CPR.
- PSA In the PSA, Jennifer Coolidge (CBS’ “Two Broke Girls” and numerous films such as “Best in Show”, “American Pie” and “Legally Blonde”) struts to Stayin’ Alive as she recounts the simple steps to help save a life, ignoring interruptions from many – presumably because EVERYONE around her knows Hands-Only CPR. To watch the PSA and a 60-second “how-to” video on using Hands-Only CPR to help save a life, hustle to heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR or facebook.com/AHACPR.
Source: PR Newswire
