Rescue Rashie

Read the campaign story

Westpac’s Rescue Rashie placed emergency CPR information inside a children’s rash vest, using a design that could reveal the instructions through a quick-release zip. The D&AD archive records the Australian product in its 2018 awards. Life Saving Victoria describes Westpac’s partnership with CPR Kids and its wider summer-safety communication. The original launch date is not securely established by the currently rendered pages, so the numeric year is left unset.

The editorial idea was to move information closer to the situation in which it might matter. A poster on a distant wall and a garment worn near the water have different relationships to attention and availability. The design joined an everyday object to a safety message without making the message the garment’s entire visual identity. Its concealed presentation attempted to preserve wearability while giving the information a specific place.

That is an interesting communications problem, but it is also a high-stakes product problem. Readability under stress, access to the instructions, age suitability and the currency of the guidance matter more than the novelty of the concept. A campaign description cannot establish that these questions have been resolved in every setting. The design should therefore be understood as a documented historical intervention, not as a general endorsement of wearable emergency instructions.

Westpac’s association with rescue services supplied context for a bank discussing water safety. The educational interpretation is that a brand can contribute through a practical object when there is a credible organisational connection and expert participation. The connection still needs explanation: a financial-services logo alone does not confer medical expertise, and an award does not provide clinical validation or certify a reduction in drowning risk.

This case deliberately does not reproduce CPR steps. Anyone designing contemporary safety communication would need current, jurisdiction-appropriate professional guidance and testing. The sources verify the garment concept, partnership and award record, not a measured lifesaving effect. The useful lesson is about placement and usability of information, accompanied by a firm boundary: emergency prompts cannot replace supervision, swimming safety measures, formal training or advice from qualified professionals.

Study the context

Information location matters alongside wording.

Bring expertise early

Safety-related design requires qualified review before creative production.

Distinguish recognition from validation

Awards do not establish medical effectiveness.

A small test for another brief

Improve placement of a low-risk instruction such as equipment return.

Measure correct completion without assistance.

Stop if the task is safety-critical or the prompt creates confusion.

• Observe where users search for the instruction.
• Place a plain-language prompt on a relevant reusable object.
• Test visibility and comprehension with representative users.