U.K. research and support charity Breast Cancer Now has launched a campaign created by London agency BMB, encouraging people to talk more openly about breast cancer.
The campaign is running during Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), across TV, social and radio, and also supported in press and digital. It marks the first TV campaign from BMB since the creative agency was appointed to the Breast Cancer Now account last year.
In this TV spot, “Real Talk,” a woman navigates life with breast cancer, from diagnosis through to treatment and beyond. Breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to camera throughout the spot, she shares with the viewers her real feelings, in contrast to the more carefully considered responses we hear her give to her friends and loved ones. But it’s in a Breast Cancer Now support group that she feels she can share her true feelings out loud: delivering the same response both in her aside to camera and to the person she’s talking to, a member of the Breast Cancer Now support group, who has also experienced breast cancer.
The PSA ends with the message: “Want to talk more openly about breast cancer? We’re Here,” inviting people who might be worried about or experiencing breast cancer to turn to the charity and find the support to talk more openly about breast cancer.
The :60 was directed by the Cannes Grand Prix-winning David Dearlove through production house Blink.
Matt Lever, chief creative officer at BMB, said, “Breaking the fourth wall allows us to get beyond the sanitized, walking-on-eggshells way that people sometimes feel they have to talk about breast cancer. Hopefully our campaign will make breast cancer feel less daunting and make Breast Cancer Now be seen as the place to turn if you want to talk more openly about your breast cancer experience”.
The new campaign builds on Breast Cancer Now’s striking brand print campaign by BMB launched earlier in the year, which showed individuals explaining how they are touched by breast cancer and the many ways the charity helps people affected by breast cancer.