St John Ambulance has received a prestigious award for its Life Lost campaign, taking gold at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

Seen as ‘the Oscars of the advertising industry’, the awards recognise the world’s most innovative and impactful campaigns.

The charity’s campaign, its first in almost 15 years and part of a new brand strategy, was developed by BBH and emphasises the importance of first aid skills.

It focused on images depicting five common situations where people die needlessly and how first aid could have helped.

Scott Jacobson, director of marketing, communications and fundraising at St John Ambulance, said: “People debate whether advertising is an art or a science; at BBH it is the best of both. Their ability to marry creativity and strategic intent is second to none.

“The brand proposition and creative they developed for St John Ambulance have totally repositioned us an organisation and changed the way people think about first aid.”

Meanwhile, the charity’s CEO Sue Killen is calling for businesses to make first aid part of their corporate social responsibility by providing first aid training to more than the minimum requirement of their staff.