Breast cancer is the cancer with the highest incidence in Portugal. About 4,500 new cases are detected annually. And the death rate is one of the highest in Europe. Their challenge was to create a simple low-cost action to raise women’s awareness about the importance of self-exams and thus help them detect breast nodules or lumps. Simple and revealing, just like the self-exam. The agency created an anti-stress ball with a defomed stone inside, simulating a tumour. On squeezing the ball, the women feels a foreign object wich raises her curiosity. “You don’t see breast cancer. You feel it. Do the self-exam”. 50,000 balls and a flyer – explaining the correct way of doing the self-exam were produced and distributed to women on the street, at companies, hospitals and at theme-related events. During the action period, records showed a 22% increase in mammography exams and a 28% rise in hospital consultations.

This is absolutely brilliant. What a frantastic way to raise awareness and educate women. Every woman in the world should have access to one of these, breast cancer is so relevant and so important everywhere, and this stress ball makes it something women can feel more comfortable talking about.

Stress balls have always been cool, I’ve always liked them. I haven’t had one for years, and I know that if I had one of these, I would probably find it fun to play with. I don’t know if that would be a good or a bad thing. What if I just started using it as a toy? Would I forget what it is supposed to be for?

Thinking about it though, I have to admit it would be pretty hard to forget why there is a little hard lump in the thing.

 This is the most impressed I have been by an advertising campaign that is trying to sell knowledge, health and education rather than a fancy product that we really don’t need. It doesn’t play on our sympathies, our fears or our personal experience (like most do), but rather just puts the topic of breast self-examination out there, with no embarrassment and no awkwardness.

In most countries, breast cancer is a fairly serious issue for women, being in many cases the highest killer of women annually. The message is not new, but the method is quite innovative, and hopefully something that can be produced worldwide.

Advertising Agency: McCann Erickson, Portugal
Chief Creative Officer: Pedro Pina
Executive Creative Director: João Taveira
Copywriter: Emerson Braga
Art Directors: André Lopes, Rita Andrade
Account Supervisor: Sônia Correia

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