Introduction: Early cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are crucial to improving outcomes following out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA) and compression-only CPR has been advocated as an alternative to standard CPR. This study aimed to develop an Australian CPR video with a celebrity actor and use this in a national campaign to raise awareness of resuscitation through digital media.

Methods: The 8-week digital media campaign was launched February 2018 with the release of ‘Shock Verdict’, an educational video based on the Australian comedy-drama "Rake". Developed in partnership with the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Resuscitation Council, the University of Tasmania and Royal Hobart Hospital, the campaign focusses on how untrained bystanders can perform compression-only CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator. An online survey was carried out to examine knowledge and attitudes related to CPR.

Results: There were over 1,392,208 video views: 1,140,023 views via Facebook, 251,185 views via Youtube. 72% of Facebook views were in women and 60% in people aged ≥45 years. Of Youtube views, 27% were in women and 24.5% in people aged ≥45 years. Baseline survey data from 140 participants found that 50% of respondents rated their knowledge and confidence to perform CPR as good or fair. Participants were more likely to report willingness to start hands-only CPR on strangers and unkempt individuals than standard CPR.

Conclusion: This study supports the use of digital marketing to deliver CPR education and raise awareness. It highlights the importance of collaboration between academics, policy makers and practitioners in improving outcomes from OHCA.