CASE STUDY
Breathing New Life Into Safety
SNA Communications executed a culturally resonant and high-impact communications, partnership, and media activation campaign for LifeVac, a patented, FDA-registered, lifesaving anti-choking device. By aligning LifeVac with lifestyle talent Gretchen Rossi, a former The Real Housewives of Orange County star, SNA sparked global conversations, reinforced brand relevance, and dramatically increased visibility. The campaign elevated awareness around choking emergencies, positioned LifeVac as an essential household tool, and drove a measurable surge in consumer engagement and product interest.
THEIR STORY
LIFEVAC SAVING LIVES
LifeVac was born from tragedy and innovation. Founder Arthur Lih was inspired to invent the device after learning of a child's preventable death due to choking. Recognizing that existing protocols like the Heimlich maneuver are not always effective—or possible, especially for people in wheelchairs—Lih created LifeVac to give families a simple, non-invasive, and effective option to save lives. Since its founding in 2011, LifeVac has saved hundreds of lives globally and is used in homes, schools, restaurants, and medical institutions.
WATCH HOW LIFEVAC WORKS
Lifevac is designed with a patented valve to prevent any air from exiting through the mask. This patenteed designed valve prevents air from pushing food or objects downward. This creates a one-way suction to remove the lodged food or object.
THE CHALLENGE
ARE SAVING LIVES PSA
LifeVac entered the market with a groundbreaking, FDA-registered solution designed to address choking emergencies quickly and effectively. The primary challenge was creating widespread awareness and education around the device’s unique capabilities. With a goal to become a trusted household essential, LifeVac needed to connect with key audiences—particularly parents, caregivers, educators, and individuals within the disability community. The brand also sought to establish a strong cultural presence, aligning its life-saving mission with impactful storytelling and meaningful advocacy. To achieve this, LifeVac required a comprehensive communications strategy that would drive visibility, highlight real-life success stories, and build strong emotional resonance.
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Drive Awareness: Increase visibility of LifeVac as a simple, effective tool for choking emergencies.
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Educate the Public: Share clear, compelling information about how and when to use the device.
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Reach Key Demographics:
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Parents and families with young children
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Teachers and school administrators
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Caregivers and individuals in the disability community
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Build Cultural Relevance: Position LifeVac as a must-have safety essential through authentic storytelling and lifestyle alignment.
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Amplify Impact Stories: Highlight real-world instances where LifeVac helped save lives to inspire action and trust.
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Strengthen Brand Presence: Establish LifeVac’s voice in both national and local conversations around health, safety, and family preparedness.
SHOP
WATCH
GRETCHEN
ROSSI
SHOW YOU HOW
LIFEVAC WORKS ON TALKSHOPLIVE
COURTESY OF MOMCAVE
INSIDE EDITION
COURTESY OF CBS
CHOKING BABY SAVED BY STRANGER'S LIFEVAC DEVICE
THE SOLUTION
Saving Lives, One Story At A Time
CHANNELS + SERVICES
To elevate LifeVac’s visibility and cultural relevance, SNA Communications designed and executed a fully integrated public relations, partnerships, and activations campaign. Central to this strategy was the alignment with former The Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi, who had experienced a personal choking scare involving her daughter, Skylar Gray. Her authentic story provided a powerful entry point to connect emotionally with families and caregivers across the country.
By sharing her experience publicly, Rossi became a passionate advocate for LifeVac, helping to bring the brand into the mainstream conversation around family safety. The campaign gained traction through high-profile entertainment media placements, significantly raising awareness and establishing LifeVac as a trusted, must-have household device.
SNA’s Communications, Partnerships, and Activations team, in collaboration with P2R, extended the campaign through a culturally attuned strategy focused on education, advocacy, and human storytelling. The initiative not only highlighted the product’s life-saving functionality but also strengthened its position as a culturally relevant, family-first safety solution.
Key Campaign Elements:
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Celebrity Ambassador
Partnered with Gretchen Rossi, who authentically connected to LifeVac’s mission through her personal experience with her daughter’s choking scare.
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Emotional Storytelling Campaign Strategy
Shared real-life accounts of parents and caregivers who used LifeVac in emergency situations to save lives, reinforcing the product’s real-world impact.
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Educational Media Tour
Executed a national broadcast and digital editorial tour featuring Gretchen Rossi, including coverage on Access Hollywood’s Housewives Nightcap, EXTRA! TV, KTLA5, Us Weekly, and more.
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Advocacy for Underserved Communities
Promoted the device’s importance for schools and individuals with disabilities, where traditional choking protocols may not be effective.
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Awareness-Driven Partnerships
Tied messaging to National Choking Awareness Day to heighten urgency, broaden advocacy, and drive consumer action.
This comprehensive approach ensured LifeVac reached its intended audiences in a meaningful and enduring way, establishing the device as an essential tool in family safety conversations nationwide.
THE IMPACT
The strategic partnership between LifeVac and Gretchen Rossi significantly expanded the brand’s cultural presence and public awareness. Rossi’s personal story and authentic advocacy resonated deeply with audiences, helping to humanize and elevate the product’s life-saving potential. As a result, the campaign garnered widespread media coverage across national and local platforms, positioning LifeVac as both a credible medical device and an essential family safety tool.
LifeVac was prominently featured on top-tier entertainment television outlets including Access Hollywood's Housewives Nightcap, EXTRA! TV, KTLA5, FOX, Good Day, Inside Edition, Love Living Local, WABC, and more. The media tour extended into influential editorial and digital platforms such as Us Weekly, HollywoodLife, Mother Today, MOMCave, and numerous parenting blogs, further amplifying the brand’s reach among target demographics like parents, caregivers, and educators.
In addition to celebrity endorsements and media placements, the campaign spotlighted real-life rescue stories—including a widely viewed segment on Inside Edition showing a man saving a baby in a restaurant using LifeVac. These powerful, relatable narratives added credibility and urgency to the campaign, sparking increased purchase intent and deeper public trust in the product. Rossi’s continued advocacy across TV, digital, and social platforms solidified LifeVac’s position as a household name in emergency preparedness.
PERFORMANCE
430M+
57M+
10M+
MEDIA IMPRESSIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS
TRUE REACH
147+
2.1M
3.5M+
MEDIA PLACEMENTS
TOTAL ENGAGEMENT
VIDEO VIEWS
THE MEDIA COVERAGE
KTLA5
GRETCHEN ROSSI TALKS LIFEVAC
EXTRA! TV
GRETCHEN ROSSI X LIFEVAC
ACCESS HOLLYWOOD
GRETCHEN ROSSI TALKS LIFEVAC
