Streams of (Un)consciousness

Challenge

In the UK, Gen Z spend more time gaming than on TikTok—and twice as much as with friends IRL. So, gaming made sense for audience targeting. But brands often get it wrong in this space—and gamers aren’t quiet about it.

Instead of starting with gaming platforms, we focused on bringing the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) problem to life inside mainstream gaming. Our idea: show up like cardiac arrest does—sudden and without warning.

By disrupting the gaming space unexpectedly, we grabbed Gen Z’s attention in a place they didn’t expect us.

Strategy

To promote the BHF’s 15-minute RevivR CPR tool, we staged a “Stream of (Un)Consciousness” by collaborating with 14 UK Twitch streamers (11M combined followers). Their live broadcasts were interrupted by a flatline sound, simulating cardiac arrest, followed by UK cardiac arrest stats and information about RevivR CPR training. In a first-of-its-kind activation, all 14 streams were interrupted simultaneously, and Twitch’s homepage featured a synchronized takeover showing every “flatlined” stream. Viewers reacted with shock, confusion, and concern, and streamers returned to explain the campaign, with some even demonstrating CPR live. Beyond the event, BHF sponsored streamers’ “Be Right Back” screens, adding QR codes for CPR training. Each completed training via the Twitch QR triggered a reward: a free Sub for the streamer’s community, boosting both CPR sign-ups and fan engagement.

Results

We gained standout attention with a unique approach to live disruption:

• 94% prompted BHF recall (vs. 40% benchmark)

• Attention scores 2x YouTube 30s ads, 7.4x in-game ads

• 84% said they’d likely learn CPR via RevivR

The ongoing affiliate model delivers CPR training at just £5 per session—16x cheaper than the average cost to get someone to buy car insurance.

And one result mattered most:
Weeks later, streamer Preach got this message:
„Watching your CPR segment saved my 2-year-old niece’s life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

We didn’t just raise awareness. We saved a life.