Something unexpected has arrived. St John Ambulance Victoria has launched Emergency Charades, a bold new campaign designed to confront a simple but uncomfortable truth: In a real emergency, guessing isn’t good enough.

A Game No One Wants to Play, at first glance, the campaign feels playful. Familiar. Even humorous.

A group of people attempt to “act out” a medical emergency as if it were a game of charades. The audience watches, interprets, tries to make sense of what’s unfolding.

Is it choking? A heart attack? An allergic reaction? The discomfort builds, because unlike a party game, the stakes are real.

Emergency Charades places viewers directly into the uncertainty that many people feel in a genuine emergency, that split second of doubt when you are not sure what you are looking at or what to do next, and that hesitation can cost precious time.

Why This Campaign Matters Now

More Victorians than ever are completing their initial first aid accreditation. But there remains a significant proportion of the population who have never undertaken training, or whose certification has lapsed. When training fades, so does confidence.

Meanwhile, emergency services continue to operate under immense pressure. In critical moments, bystanders are often the first link in the chain of survival. The ability to recognise what’s happening, and act immediately, can mean the difference between life and death.

“Victorians understand how important first aid is,” says Emma Klinakis, Marketing & Community Manager at St John Ambulance Victoria. “But confidence fades when training lapses or never happens in the first place. This campaign is a reminder that confidence in an emergency comes from knowing first aid, not trying to figure it out in the moment.”

From Awareness to Action

Emergency Charades takes that reflection one step further from St John’s previous campaigns.

Developed with independent Melbourne agency Town Square, it challenges people not just to imagine an emergency but to feel the awkwardness of not knowing how to respond.

St John Ambulance Victoria CEO, Gordon Botwright, says the campaign speaks directly to a growing need:

“Every minute counts in an emergency. While our paramedics and emergency services do extraordinary work, the first person on scene is often a family member, colleague or passerby. First aid training gives people the confidence to act decisively in those critical moments. Emergency Charades is a powerful reminder that preparation matters, because emergencies are not a guessing game.”

Don’t play; prepare. Emergencies don’t announce themselves. They don’t wait for you to ‘Google’ symptoms. They don’t pause while you try to interpret what’s happening.

But preparation is within your control. Whether you are completing first aid training for the first time or refreshing your accreditation, knowing what to do transforms hesitation into action.

Emergency Charades may feel playful on the surface, but its message is clear: When it comes to saving a life, don’t guess. Know First Aid.