Breast Cancer Now’s new campaign film is hard to watch. But it makes you keep watching. Created by agency BMB in documentary style, it shows the reality of living with incurable secondary breast cancer. In the film, If I had more time, nine women share the ways they would spend more precious time if they could, highlighting the urgent need for more research to extend people’s lives. The film is raw, showing these women in their own homes, talking in their words, and revealing both their vulnerabilities and their strength in dealing with their diagnoses. The one word that lingers in the minds of both those affected and the viewers is ‘If’.
The UK cancer research and support charity is working to change the outlook for people living with incurable secondary breast cancer, recognising research as the one ‘currency’ that holds the potential to ‘buy’ them more time with loved ones and to do the things that matter to them. An estimated 61,000 people in the UK are currently living with the disease.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Now hopes to highlight incurable secondary breast cancer, often overlooked in mainstream discourse around breast cancer.
The 60-second TVC went to air on ITV on September 25 and will run for a week, followed by a 30-seocnd edit that will run until October 22. The campaign film will be supported across radio, social and digital, with a long-form 110-second edit sitting on the campaign landing page.
The social and digital display features striking portraits of the women in their homes, alongside their thoughts of what they would do if they had more time.
The campaign was directed and photographed by Katie Burdon through Academy Films. Media planning and buying was handled by AMI.
Rachael Franklin, director of fundraising, communications and engagement at Breast Cancer Now, stated, “We know that much more needs to be done to raise awareness and understanding of secondary breast cancer, including the fact that tragically this form of the disease is incurable. The 61,000 people currently estimated to be living with secondary breast cancer in the UK urgently need more treatment options to buy them more time.
“Through this latest work, we’ve invited people to share their own experiences of living with incurable breast cancer and what they would do with more time. Our hope is that this cinematic campaign will shine a light on the devastating reality of this disease, on lives that will be cut short by it, and the urgent need to fund more world-class research to develop more treatments options for people both now and in the future.”
Matt Lever, chief creative officer at BMB, added, “With this campaign, we set out to showcase the reality for people with incurable breast cancer. By getting up close and personal with those living with the disease, in their homes, and speaking to them about their hopes and dreams, we showcase their thoughts on what they could do if only they had more time. In this way, we hope to emphasise the urgency of Breast Cancer Now’s incredible work, which can help buy people like these more time.”
BMB’s previous work for Breast Cancer Now’s, The Chat, won two awards at Cannes Lions in June and has been shortlisted for five Campaign BIG Awards.
Credits:
Client: Breast Cancer Now
Director of Fundraising, Communications and Engagement: Rachael Franklin,
Associate Director of Brand Marketing & Communications: Deanne Gardner
Creative Agency: BMB
Chief Creative Officer: Matt Lever
Creative Director: Bianca Eglinton
Creatives: Jack Snell, Joe Lovett
Managing Director: Claudia Wallace
Business Director: Sam Hardy
Account Director: Rosie Morahan
Senior Strategist: Amy Bowker
Head of Design: Ted Smith
Designer: Mark Gould
Senior Producer: Alison Cummins
Production Assistant: Nina Stokes
Production Company: Academy Films
Producer: Cara Mills
Director & Photographer: Katie Burdon
DOP: Laura Seward
Editor: Nik Hinson
Online & Sound Design: Unit
Audio: Jamie Thomas & Hannah Webster
Colourist: Denny Cooper
Online: Alec Eves
Unit Executive Producer: Darryl Bolton
Unit Producers: Tania DeSousa & Wil Male
Media Planning & Buying: AMI
