Making Schools Safer: Social Impact Campaign
Overview
In February 2025, for Heart Month, Iridia Medical partnered with Students for AEDs, a youth-led advocacy initiative that successfully lobbied the Vancouver School Board (VSB) to approve $250,000 in funding to equip every school in the district with life-saving automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
As a company with deep roots in public safety - having pioneered BC’s first public access AED program - Iridia saw a unique opportunity to support this student-led movement and amplify its impact through social media, strategic storytelling, and community engagement.
Solution
We developed a multi-faceted campaign that combined influencer marketing, social fundraising, and mission-driven content strategy, timed to align with Heart Month 2025.
Key components included:
🔗 Influencer Collaboration:
We partnered with global creator Aylex Thunder (4M+ followers), who visited our office and co-produced a video spotlighting the Students for AEDs initiative. His platform helped drive awareness far beyond our usual reach and introduced the cause to a new, younger audience.
💸 Fundraising Strategy:
During Heart Month, Iridia committed to donating 10% of all AED sales to the Students for AEDs campaign - turning customer action into social impact and reinforcing our brand’s purpose of "enabling peace of mind."
📱 Social Media & Paid Promotion:
We rolled out a cross-platform campaign using Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, including:
🎬 Behind-the-scenes content from the influencer shoot
👩🎓 Short-form videos featuring student advocates
📣 Calls to action highlighting our donation commitment
📰 Media mentions and testimonials for social proof
🤝 Community Alignment:
We worked closely with local leaders and stakeholders to amplify student voices and promote the campaign across media. Our support helped students secure national coverage via CTV, Global News, Vancouver Sun, and CityNews; including direct engagement with Premier David Eby and Minister of Education Lisa Beare.
Results
The campaign not only drove brand awareness, it contributed to real, measurable impact:
✅ $250,000 in funding secured to install AEDs in every Vancouver School Board facility by Fall 2025
📈 National media coverage, 1M+ video views, and 70K+ likes across platforms
❤️ Five AEDs donated directly by Iridia to support the movement
💸 10% of AED sales contributed to student advocacy throughout Heart Month
🌍 Expanded reach via influencer marketing and community partnerships, reinforcing Iridia’s role as a health innovation leader
Takeaway
This campaign showed the power of combining authentic youth-led advocacy with strategic brand support. By aligning with a cause that matched our mission, engaging the right voices, and crafting a smart, social-first rollout, we helped spark a movement that will save lives - and positioned Iridia as a purpose-driven brand committed to real change.
