Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board has been shortlisted for a Scottish Creative Award for its ‘Even Santa Needs a Power of Attorney’ TV advert - an upbeat Christmas advert designed to raise awareness about power of attorney (PoA).

PoA allows people to safeguard their future, should they lose the capacity to make decisions for themselves. 

The board has been running campaigns raising awareness on the importance of having a PoA for the last four years. 

These have had a significant impact on the number of PoA registrations in that time with applications increasing by 24% in the first year of the campaign. 

Last year’s TV advert reached more than one million people and was part of a comprehensive awareness campaign throughout the 2016 Christmas season. 

The advert creator, Enterprise Screen, also placed public space adverts in Glasgow Central and on the Subway and ran a video-led social media campaign that drove traffic to the mypowerofattorney.org.ukwebsite, which was branded in coordination with the Christmas campaign. 

The brief was to create an upbeat Christmas advert to raise awareness about power of attorney. Enterprise Screen delivered an advert showing Santa discussing power of attorney to present an often intimidating legal process in a positive and lighthearted way. 

Jill Carson, who leads the Power of Attorney Campaign for Glasgow City Health & Social Care Partnership, said: “We were delighted at the response to our Christmas PoA campaign, which appeared on TV and social media as well as Glasgow’s Central Station and subway.  

“Appointing an attorney is the most important step that people can take to safeguard their future, and we think the Christmas campaign was very effective in highlighting that”. 

In the last five years, according to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) power of attorney (PoA) applications have increased by more than 50%. OPG is now processing more than 300 new PoAs each working day. 

To date, the number of people who have registered a Power Of Attorney in Scotland is now approximately 550,000. However, despite the increase in applications, this means many people are still not covered by a PoA. 

Jamie Smith, Founder and Executive Director for Enterprise Screen Productions, said: “This is a great achievement for the team and for our client. For the past three years we have worked with one of the most creative, responsive and results-driven teams to help shape the impact of this campaign.  

“It has been fun, challenging but above all, satisfying to see our work change how the public have changed their behaviour and understanding of PoA. Ultimately, in this business, we all love to see a commercial that is memorable and imaginative but in reality, it’s the results that count. 

“I think we can all be proud of the ‘Even Santa Needs a Power of Attorney’ advert and this prestigious nomination, but we can be even happier still that it has had such a positive impact for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde”. 

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Enterprise Screen Productions PoA Christmas 2016 TV advert has been shortlisted in the commercial £20,000 or less category.