Heimlich Institute Honors RBS for Lifesaving Ad

Royal Bank of Scotland TV Spot Features Heimlich
Maneuver® in Making Point: Less Talk, More Action

Cincinnati, Sept. 21, 2004 - Dr. Henry J. Heimlich today paid tribute to an organization not typically considered a lifesaver, at least not in the medical sense. A creative television commercial, however, could win just such an accolade for RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group).

The commercial, airing in American markets including Cincinnati, shows a group of business people dining at a restaurant. One begins to choke, and the others in the group discuss the Heimlich Maneuver in matter-of-fact terms as the choking victim continues to struggle. The dining companions detail how the maneuver works and even begin to demonstrate it without ever actually using it to rescue the man. Finally, a diner at a nearby table steps in, uses the maneuver and dislodges the obstruction. A voiceover says, “Less talk,” as the words “Make It Happen” flash on the screen.

The RBS commercial caught the attention of The Heimlich Institute, which immediately recognized the ad’s value as an educational tool. Millions of television viewers now see the power of a promptly performed Heimlich Maneuver, potentially saving thousands of lives. The Institute invited the bank’s Group chief executive, Sir Fred Goodwin, to Cincinnati to receive a Heimlich Institute Save-A-Life Award, and Goodwin accepted. Dr. Heimlich presented the award to Goodwin this afternoon at the Queen City Club.

“The intent of the ad, obviously, was humor,” Dr. Heimlich said, “but the result is that real lives will be saved because people have seen the Heimlich Maneuver in action. That is no laughing matter. It is, however, something to celebrate, and we are delighted that Sir Fred could be here to accept this honor.”

“RBS has been built on a philosophy of ‘Make It Happen’ - less talk, more action - as our ads say. We are delighted that this particular ad has managed to combine humor with a hard-hitting message and to such positive effect. It is a great pleasure to accept this award and I wish the Heimlich Institute continued success with its work in this important area,” said Sir Fred Goodwin, Group Chief Executive of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc.

The ad was created by M&C Saatchi.

Dr. Heimlich invented the Heimlich Maneuver in the 1970s after reading an article that cited choking as a leading cause of accidental death. Every scientific study proved that backslaps - the traditional form of treating choking victims at the time - caused an object to become more tightly lodged, causing death. And so Dr. Heimlich approached choking from another angle. He discovered that pressing firmly on the diaphragm compressed the lungs, causing a flow of air that consistently cleared the obstruction.

Today, the Heimlich Maneuver is recognized as the optimal treatment for choking victims. The maneuver also is used to save victims of drowning by clearing the water from the lungs. Additionally, the Heimlich Maneuver can stop asthma attacks when drugs fail. Five thousand asthmatics - a third of them children - die each year in the United States during asthma attacks.

Dr. Heimlich is widely credited for saving more lives than any other person, thanks in part to popular culture’s embrace of his simple, effective technique.

The RBS commercial is not the first ad to feature the maneuver, nor is advertising the only medium to include it. The Heimlich Maneuver has appeared in movies, television programs, comic strips and books. The result is that real-life Heimlich Heroes - people who have successfully saved lives using the maneuver - number in the tens of thousands. Even children as young as 7 count themselves as members of this club; the maneuver is that easy.

“Whether intended or not, ads such as the RBS spot save lives,” Dr. Heimlich said. “We applaud these efforts and support similar methods of getting the word out. The bottom line is that you don’t have to be a super hero to be a Heimlich Hero. A simple, firm push in the right place can save a life.”

About the Heimlich Institute
The Heimlich Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to medical, scientific and social research. Its quest is for simple solutions for saving lives. Founded by Dr. Henry J. Heimlich in the 1960s, the Institute is based in Cincinnati at the Deaconess Hospital and still has at its helm Dr. Heimlich, whose Heimlich Maneuver has saved tens of thousands of lives. The mission of The Heimlich Institute is to benefit humanity through health and peace. The Institute can be found on the Web at www.heimlichinstitute.org.

About RBS
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group ("RBS Group") is one of the world's leading financial services companies providing a range of retail and corporate banking, financial markets, consumer finance, insurance, wealth management and other finance-related activities. RBS Group had a market capitalization of $88.4 billion at July 28th, 2004 and now ranks as the sixth largest bank in the world. For 2003, RBS Group posted total revenue of $31.44 billion and operating profit before tax, goodwill amortization and integration costs of $11.69 billion. RBS Group serves more than 30 million customers worldwide and employs approximately 125,000 people, including nearly 20,000 in the US. In the US, RBS Group owns Citizens Financial Group and Peoples Bank credit card business. Its New York-based Corporate Banking and Financial Markets North America business is a leading provider of financing solutions to corporate and institutional clients. RBS Greenwich Capital tailors debt capital market solutions to institutions worldwide and has a leading position in US treasuries and asset backed securities.