When a Stroke Strikes, Act FAST
14 February 2009 by SilkyStrokes aren’t funny.
They can kill you or, at the very least, make you look like you’re permanently watching the Hollyoaks omnibus. So I’m not going to make fun of people who’ve had strokes nor of teenagers who simply don’t realise they’re wasting the best years of their life.
But this advert has left me a little worried:
If you’re anything like me, watching that advert has made you extremely paranoid and you’re now permanently on stroke-watch. So to help save lives, here are those symptoms again:
- Difficulty smiling.
- Can’t lift their arms up.
- Slurred speech.
Hang on a minute. That sounds like everybody I catch the bus to work with in the mornings is having a stroke. This is much more serious then I first imagined.
Not really, only joking. They’re really just miserable bastards who hate their miserable lives and their miserable jobs that they’re grinding out for the sake their miserable families. But hey, that’s the Midlands for you.
Back to strokes… the most of important symptom of all that you should look out for is the “forehead on fire”. If someone’s face is burning down quicker than the Australian bush then they’re are definitely having a stroke. Well, they’re either having a stroke or they’re a Nazi and they’ve just opened the Arc of the Covenant in some unholy ceremony on a God forsaken lump of rock in the middle of nowhere.
It’s definitely one of the two though, so always check for a leather trench coat and swastika armband before you call the for the ambulance, just in case.
Just How Bad is this Ad?
(48 votes, average: 3.83 out of 5)
69Responses:
timmyhavoc
Said on the 14 February 2009
I just saw this on TVThank god they warned me about the dangers of strokes, I can add that to the list along with not lounging around eating burgers, checking my ball sack for extra balls and making sure theres a fire alarm on every wall in my house!
Ian
Said on the 15 February 2009
I find this advert very upsetting. As some one who’s had a family member suffer as a result of a stroke I know only to well the need to act fast to save their life. I think that this kind of advert is vital on our tv screens as it’s far more needed than another 5 minute advert for perfume starring Nicole Kidman. Indeed, I feel they get their point across in a very effective way
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 15 February 2009
I watched my gran have a stroke as a 5 year old kid. She was in a home for over 15 years afterwards. She used to get upset when we visited because she knew we were important to her, yet she couldn’t say our names. Just remember to tell the people that you love what they mean to you, just incase you lose the chance.
ali
Said on the 15 February 2009
* Difficulty smiling.
* Can’t lift their arms up.
* Slurred speech.
Better send the ambulance to number 10 stat.
seriouslythoughkids, its a pretty nasty thing to have to go through, as a relative and presumably more so as a victim so i’m totally with ian and cj
Simon Breadbin
Said on the 16 February 2009
Why is this suddenly necessary? People have been having strokes for years. I’m fed up of ‘hard-hitting awareness campaigns’ concerning things I can do precious little about. Why not go one further and replace regular advertising with a litany of unpleasant shorts about every conceivable medical complaint? They could be scheduled in the same way as the programming.
Morning: Stuff that can go wrong when you’re preggers (this would blend seamlessly with the sort of shite they have on GMTV et al) followed by Osteoporosis. A group of pensioners discuss the credit crunch whilst waiting for social services to get them out of their chairs without shattering their pelvises.
Afternoon: Obesity and you (that’s right, YOU). Slab faced scratters moaning about the bedsores they develop because they are greedy fat pigs who blanch at the mere thought of exercise.
Evening: Booze. More guilt tripping over a perfectly legal activity of which the vast majority of people can partake without resorting to violence, alchoholism or being raped.
Late night/Early morning: Horrific anal maladies. Imagination if this was you. Go on, IMAGINE IT.
This would however have the beneficial effect of removing the plethora of online bingo ads from our screens.
For the people above affected by stroke I have every sympathy, but unless you’re watching your vulnerable friends and relatives twenty four hours a day, your chances of successfully intervening are trivial.
Louisa
Said on the 16 February 2009
who’s the women who does the voiceover, her voice is so familiar, it’s really bugging me!?
Simon Breadbin
Said on the 16 February 2009
The women doing the voiceover are ali and louisa
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 16 February 2009
“Late night/Early morning: Horrific anal maladies. Imagination if this was you. Go on, IMAGINE IT.”
Well… It’d stop me eating a kebab, so then I spose I wouldn’t need towatch TV in the Afternoon or Evening… Oh and I ain’t getting pregnant, ever, (wrong equipment) So I can just watch BBC then…
thorpeboy
Said on the 17 February 2009
The narration on this ad reminds me of Catherine Tate’s Lauren character… Face…is it bovvered? Arms.. can they raise both arms and keep them tho?
Alex
Said on the 17 February 2009
Although I think these kind of ads are very informative, I do not think using ‘scare’ tactics (like the drink drive ads) is a very sensitive idea. These ads are not targeting stubborn teenagers, but older generations. I have a relative who recently passed away after suffering from a stroke and there is always an awkward and slightly distressing moment when this ad comes on TV. However, raising awareness is a good thing – but I think they took it a bit too far IMO.
Alex
Said on the 18 February 2009
IMO means in my opinion.FYI
Alex
Said on the 18 February 2009
Actually my sentence makes sense FYI – “…but I think they took it a bit too far <>”
Alex
Alex
Said on the 18 February 2009
Actually my sentence makes sense FYI – “…but I think they took it a bit too far *in my opinion*”
Alex
Alex
Said on the 18 February 2009
Sorry about the echo. lol fyi imo
Simon Breadbin
Said on the 20 February 2009
IMO used to be a car-wash near me. Pronounce ‘emo’, I imagine it may have been staffed by moody teenagers in heavy eye makeup and wanky jeans, but I never went there.
(This story was brought to you in association with ‘Watching paint dry’)
Alex
Said on the 20 February 2009
Wow, that is pretty interesting…They’d probably paint your car black?
Simon Breadbin
Said on the 20 February 2009
They wouldn’t paint it they’d wash it fyi.
Alex
Said on the 20 February 2009
That was imo.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 20 February 2009
“Wow, that is pretty interesting…They’d probably paint your car black?”
PML = Pissing Myself Laughing
Matt
Said on the 20 February 2009
The voice over in this advert is: Sue Johnstone – she played Barbara in Royle Family
Amly
Said on the 23 February 2009
My mum died last year 2 days before mothers day aged 54 of a stroke. I am delighted that finally some stroke awareness is being shown on tv to spare someone else the horrific pain of losing their amazing lovely mum at 54. The face doesn’t always slump. My mums symptoms at first were very discreet but had i seen this advert first, I think i would have been more aware.
I am so frustrated at people getting freaked out about it. I hope to god nobody has to see it for real like i had to. It is about time that people became more aware of the dangers of stroke and that it can happen to anyone, any age.
HOW DARE anyone make a joke about stroke. This has really made me upset reading the initial commentary on the ad. It is the most upsetting thing ever to see someone you adore affected then die of a stroke. I pray that you never ever have to see this for real as one day you may be eating your words.
Shame on you
Joanna Butler
Said on the 23 February 2009
Amly
Maybe its best not to visit a site that as it says on the front page of this website to ‘slag off’ adverts we don’t like, you made the choice to click on here.
I am 28 and had a stroke myself at the age of 26 so this is something i have seen for real as it was me it happened too.
Joanna
Joanna Butler
Said on the 23 February 2009
On a lighter note, is it just me or does any one else want to roast a marshmallow in her forehead fire??
Silky
Said on the 23 February 2009
That’s the main reason I carry a small bag of marshmallow around with me at all times…
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 26 February 2009
Difficulty smiling.
Can’t lift their arms up.
Slurred speech.
Act FAST, the rohypnol is kicking in…..
laura
Said on the 27 February 2009
fair dooz jellyfish… that tickled me…
yes strokes ARE horible… heartbreaking etc etc but personally i sh*t my knickers when i saw that advert…
the other night…. sat there eating a curry and my mates eyes got all droopy and she was talking jibberish… lifted the arm up to see if she could hold it up but found a bottle of malibu stashed in the couch…..
the slogan thing should probs be used in the, equally intense , “know your limits” advert IMO
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 3 March 2009
Ah now, your mate is a lightweight then Laura, surely she should be on Absynthe or Stroh to get like that….
Joe
Said on the 9 March 2009
Making people aware of strokes, which all but the very nieve are already, is only half of the battle. The advert appears to more of a visual scare tactic rather than informative, which may have the adverse effect on more sensative people making them turn away from the facts, which are the people who are more likely to respond is such a scenario. These shock adverts are more befitting to the less sensative, like drink drivers, who probably would not take any notice anyway, as they are probably down the pub at the time. The most important battle is the Medical response time. They cannot treat until scanned for which type of stroke has occured. Our money would be much more wisely spent on the most critical problem of getting the patient to the treatment in the shortest possible time, than patronising the public, insinuating that we do not know when to dial for an emergency. My mother died of a succession of small strokes due to a concussion accident, ten years previous, which was only diagnosed on the autopsy. she was in hospital for four days before she died, so sometimes, all the medical care possible does no good.
The stroke they show on the advert is steriotypical and in many cases the symptoms may not even show as anything more than a dizzy attack or even just a one sided feeling.
A stroke maybe as small as an inch or as big as a mile, so who is really going to be enlightened by a graphically gorey special effect that some CGI expert has made a good wage off in the name of good. I am an opptamistic person really, but still find it hard to see the effect of these adverts when the news reports of deceased being found in homes 6 months too late, because social care thought they were just being reclusive !!!!!!
I appologise for any spelling or grammer errors.
Hafoot
Said on the 9 March 2009
Adopting a shock tactic on this advert is wrong imo.
Fair enough that may be what happens but the style seems more like an anti-smoking advert.
Michelle
Said on the 11 March 2009
Whilst bringing our attention to the symptoms of strokes is a good thing, this advert is so horrifying that afterwards, and still even now, I don’t remember what the symptoms are….all I remember is this man/woman’s head on fire…. not a good advert in my book then if it doesn’t do what it says on the tin…
AngelEyes
Said on the 12 March 2009
Government on a rampage of scaremongering and enlightenment…
I’m not exaggerating when I say that nearly 1/4 of all UK TV ads now are some government awareness campaign or information service…glad they’re tightening their belts like the rest of us then!
Here are the ones I can think of off the top of my head: 2 stroke adverts, Learn Direct, Direct.Gov, Cannabis messes you up, Talk to Frank, Look 3 times for a motorbike, Don’t drink and drive, Women – know your limits, Use an apprentice, Fat in your diet, Kids are unhealthy, Check your smoke alarm, Wear a condom…
Archer
Said on the 12 March 2009
“Use an apprentice… Kids are unhealthy… Wear a condom”
That’s EXACTLY the lesson I’m getting from the government. And very helpful it is too.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 13 March 2009
## “Use an apprentice… Kids are unhealthy… Wear a condom” ##
Too Easy…
AngelEyes
Said on the 30 March 2009
” I’m not exaggerating when I say that nearly 1/4 of all UK TV ads now are some government awareness campaign or information service…”
Even the wise old ladies on Loose Women were talking about this today…it must be getting bad! Apparently the government is spending £400mm on these scare-mongering adverts – that’s nearly 4 times as much as the biggest corporate advertiser, Proctor and Gamble!!!!
Archer
Said on the 31 March 2009
“Too easy…”
What? Apprentices? Yes they are… and very moreish too.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 1 April 2009
You only like them ‘cos you can train them up to do exactly what you want them to do, I’m on to you, you just want an obedient slave to do your bidding…..
Gissa’ job?
Anon
Said on the 7 April 2009
This advert is by no means terrible.
If you had outlined one good point as to this adverts down fall in your review I would feel compelled to prove you otherwise, however you have failed in doing so.
I can only assume you have never experienced or been in close proximity of somebody having a stroke, and therefor like any other person with the maturity of a 1-13 year old you would assume that the advert is funny and unnecessary.
There is a serious reason this avert was created, and by the looks of it they’ve done the job they were intended to. Look, we’re all talking about strokes!
john
Said on the 8 April 2009
Silky,
firstly you are a c*nt.
and thats it.
thanks
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 8 April 2009
Well Silky, at least you know you’re useful….
Frank
Said on the 10 April 2009
At the end where is says something along the lines of “like a fire call 999″… so I wouldn’t call 999 if it wasn’t a fire? Murder? Not a fire…
rick
Said on the 20 April 2009
use a chav in the advert (can be found on any scum council estate) this particular sub species can exibit gormless expressions from birth, mostly due to inbreeding .
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 6 May 2009
Shhh…. Don’t day that rick, Silky has just had a chav-tastic 3 series delivered….
rick
Said on the 9 May 2009
re covertjellyfish 6th may, I do hope not ! I think silky is a little more discerning, what about an audi or a merc ?
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 10 May 2009
Sorry Rick, read the Vauxall Insignia comments…
Sheila
Said on the 12 May 2009
We all think some adverts are boring old rubbish but my sister had a stroke in front of me on Saturday 9th May 2009 and luckily for her I had seen the advert I responded immediatly and she was attended by a paramedic untill the ambulance came .the person on the phone was great she stayed on the line instructing me what to do ,because of the said advert I did not panic I saw the signs of my sister’s mouth dropping slurred speach and being unresponsive before she went unconsious ,without this advert maybe I would have not have acted so quickly .She is still in hospital now making a slow recovery but very confused so I say if an advert reaches some of us and makes us aware then why should we not heed what is being shown .
Thank you for helping me to help my sister .
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 14 May 2009
You know, I looked in a mirror whilst having a stoke this afternoon, and that is exactly the face I pulled….
Sheila
Said on the 14 May 2009
Why ar some people so flippant if this happened to you you would expect someone to be there to help i CAN’T BE BOTHERED WITH THIS PAGE WHEN THERE ARE IGNORANT PEOPLE JUST WANTING TO POKE FUN AT EVERYTHING my sister is now seriously ill and may never recover from this think hard before you mock the afflicted.
Archer
Said on the 14 May 2009
Not poking fun at everything, Sheila. Just poking fun at TV’s worst adverts.
I got the impression that was sort of a given on this site.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 14 May 2009
Sheila, if you were to read ALL the coments you would see that many people have been affected by stroke, sometimes though people need to find a little dark humor in things, this doesn’t mean people don’t care, sometimes it’s the only way you can cope. I genuinely hope your friend recovers, but you surely understood the purpose of this site when you first visited, and had a choice as to wether to post or visit again.
rick o shea
Said on the 22 May 2009
that forehead fire will come in really handy when outside the pub, the winds blowing , and you need to light your fag ,perfect, just remember where your eyes are if it goes out though.
rick o shea
Said on the 22 May 2009
1. difficulty smiling ? 2. cant lift their arms up ? 3.slurred speech ? 4. keep falling off the bar stool? 5. this means your pissed.
R E Krishna
Said on the 1 June 2009
Since first seeing this advert I have been in strict daily training. I am proud to announce that I can now perform Mark Anthony’s speech to the Romans (Friends Romans countrymen etc.) in under 30 seconds. You gotta admit that is acting FAST.
Andy
Said on the 1 June 2009
No, that’s acting quickly ,not fast.
rick o shea
Said on the 1 June 2009
Q . what city has the highest incidence of heart problems ?
A . STROKE ON TRENT !!!!!!
rick o shea
Said on the 1 June 2009
re : covertjellyfish 10th may, oh well, it could be worse it could of been a renault clio spasmobile with a bodykit and wayne and tracy on the windscreen!!.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 1 June 2009
Or a bright orange Saxo, with a fucking spoiler. Who the fuck is dumb enough to put a spoiler on a car that (a) Can’t get over 100 mph, and (b) is FRONT WHEEL DRIVE!!!
R E Krishna
Said on the 2 June 2009
While we’re being pedantic…. OED states that some words can be used as both adjectives and adverbs. FAST is such a word.
“a fast horse (adjective) he ran fast (adverb)”
Even if that weren’t true, “quickly” doesn’t really work with the advert……OR DOES IT?????? Answers please on a postcard.
THIS ADVERT HAS BEEN FINANCED BY PEDANTS ANONYMOUS
rik o shea
Said on the 2 June 2009
re: covertjellyfish 1st june; chav scum , hoody wankers, it should be a national sport to burn them alive, preferably in their poxy little crappy cars with their tarty slapper half wit girlfriends.feel better now.
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 2 June 2009
I thought the national sport was getting pregnant at 14 and trying to never get a job? Unless you’re a politician, then you get to screw everyone AND when you are caught you say “I made an error” keep getting paid and ask for a golden handshake.
I’d just like to point out that £13,000 is enough to buy a full kit of body armour for a British soldier, yet many of our “leaders” have attempted to embezzle far greater sums of money. But they acted within the rules, didn’t they…..
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 2 June 2009
To Pedants Anon :-
The choice of word also denotes the tense as well, at least I seem to remember it did from my english comp lessons. This is what happens when you drop Latin from the curriculum, the whole idea that a sentence is a composed whole, not a collection of words, gets lost
R E Krishna
Said on the 3 June 2009
Quod erat demonstrandum
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 3 June 2009
Hmmm… …ok… ….aliquid stat pro aliquo….
R E Krishna
Said on the 4 June 2009
Deep man!!
rik o shea
Said on the 4 June 2009
when a stroke strikes ;first find out if the patient is a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke, if its a 2 stroke make sure you add the oil to the petrol before pouring it down its neck otherwise it wont start , if its a 4 stroke use neat petrol .kick it over till it fires up. there you go job done .
CovertJellyfish
Said on the 4 June 2009
Yep. Right up to the balls….
Tarquin Fintimblimwimlim Biscuit-Barrel
Said on the 7 July 2009
They didn’t act so fucking fast when the woman in the ad was having a stroke, they made damn sure they finished filming!
JAYNE KING
Said on the 3 January 2010
I TOO HAD A STROKE IN FEB 2008 AGED 39. THE ONLY THING I DONT LIKE ABOUT STROKE ADVERT IS WHEN IT SAYS THE FASTER YOU ACT THE MORE OF THE PERSON YOU SAVE! WHICH IN CARLISLE IN 2008 WAS A JOKE. THIS COMMENT UPSET ME AND MY HUSBAND AS WE PHONED FOR AN AMBULANCE WIYHIN 10 MINS OF MY STROKE STARTING BUT WHEN I ARRIVED AT HOSPITAL WE WERE TOLD THROMBOLISATION COULD ONLY BE DONE MONDAY TO FRI 9 TO 5 AS THIS IS WHEN CONSULTANT WAS AVAILABLE. I WAS UNLUCKY MY STROKE HAPPENED ON A SUNDAY DINNER TIME SO I AM NOW LEFT UNABLE TO USE MY LEFT ARM AT ALL AND I CANNOT WALK PROPERLY EITHER, I AGREE WITH SHOWING THE ADVERT BUT DO NOT AGREE WITH THE WORDING OF IT.
Ad Hater 2.0
Said on the 20 January 2010
This is not related to the Stroke ad at all but it’s the closest thing I could find that resembles NHS. I just want to say that I’m so fucking sick of the “quit smoking” ads NHS insists on shoving in my face every fucking ad break!
The one where they use children is just wrong! I HATE adverts that use kids! If I have to hear “I’d do anything” again then I’m gonna go MENTALLY FUCKING INSANE!!
Those other ads about contraception & chlamydia are just disgusting. I know they are getting an important message across but PLEASE quit showing them every 10 fucking minutes!
That window cleaner ad makes no sense. They’re saying that he can’t afford a ladder but he can afford a MASSIVE FUCKING TRAMPOLINE?! Surely a trampoline is just as expensive!
Finally, that ad where the guy is carrying a TINY umbrella in the rain just makes me think “WTF?!” Then we see him standing in the rain reading a paper but he’s standing next to a fucking BUS SHELTER! Surely, you could stand under there!
Daniel Newton
Said on the 21 January 2010
Ahhh Ad Hater 2.0; I’m there with you, hating the latest government drivel.
First up, I’m sick to death of hearing the kids on the stop smoking advert saying “Id do anything for your smile…” thoroughly sick of that now and its only been on a few weeks.
Next up the chlamydia campaign; in my opinion this has gone TOO FAR the slogan “Chlamydia, worth talking about” disgusts me its not ‘worth talking about’ because its just not a generally nice topic for discussion, yet these adverts seem hell bent on making it seem like something you have a chat with over tea and biscuits with your Nan… not only that every 10mins the advert is on the telly AND RADIO and here in Manchester there are posters everywhere – talk about going over board, I too understand the importance but its gone too far now…
And finally an advert that has nothing to do on this page but since the site is pretty much dead in the water I’m going to post it here;
Everest, these adverts always end with “You wouldn’t expect Everest to be doing that today would you?” – well quite frankly know I wouldn’t because I don’t know who ‘Everest’ are and I don’t really care however after seeing the first advert 500 times I was completely under the impression that they had something to do with Double Glazing but now a new advert implying that they quite possibly have something to do with Kitchen work surfaces as well as Windows has cropped up has left me looking like the woman at the top of the page trying to determine what it is exactly that Everest do…
P.S. I think “You wouldn’t expect to be doing that today” only works for big national company Everest quite frankly we don’t have a fucking clue what you do apart from stroke kitchen benches and open windows?
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