Cardiac Christmas

Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year. But it’s a dangerous time for hearts – on Christmas Eve, heart attack risk rises 37%, and stays 15% higher for the whole of the festive season.

To get people thinking about heart health over the holidays, Heart Research UK launched a special campaign, starring a familiar character; someone whose stressful job, irregular exercise and poor diet puts his heart at particular risk on Christmas Eve: Santa Claus himself.

Illustrated in a beautiful vintage style, the campaign showed classic Christmas scenes, but with a sobering twist. Amid the twinkling lights, prancing reindeer and gently falling snow, Santa is shown clutching his chest and collapsing, experiencing the devastating effects of a heart attack.

The campaign also featured a radio ad, with BAFTA-winning actor Mark Bonnar giving a reading of a heart failure version of ‘The Night before Christmas’. In this version, the familiar tale turns tragic as Santa suffers from the consequences of his unhealthy lifestyle. The ad guided listeners to the Heart Research UK website, where they could get life-saving advice or donate to vital research.

To further support Heart Research UK’s vital work, the campaign also partnered with Thortful, the UK’s largest card marketplace, to raise funds with a set of bespoke Christmas cards. The cards showed the happy Christmas that Heart Research UK are working to make possible, with Santa restored to his usual merry self. All proceeds from the sales went directly to the charity’s life-saving cardiac research.

Helping to keep more hearts healthy over the holidays.