In order to misdirect passers by into thinking that an actual emergency was taking place, life-sized, realistic decals of fallen people were placed at the bottom of staircases. At first glance, the decal generates the impression that someone is unconscious and in need of help. Upon closer inspection, however, one realises that it’s just a photograph on the floor. The accompanying copy, “Know what to do. Learn first aid.” also becomes visible.

Almost 7 million people have seen the decals and their message thanks to national and international press. Seven newspapers featured the story in Canada alone (that includes two national chains). As well, traffic to the Canadian Red Cross enrolment website increased by five times from the previous year. These results were achieved with a total budget of under $1000.