Chocolates are the time-honoured Valentine’s Day gift. A gift from Bowel Cancer Australia is not regular. But this year, Bowel Cancer Australia has produced Valentine’s Day chocolates for Australians to give. They’re not the regular chocolates. In fact, they’re deliberately irregular. The Clemenger BBDO social and PR campaign is using exquisitely designed, 3D printed chocolate to raise awareness of early-onset bowel cancer – the deadliest cancer for people aged 25-44.
Clemenger BBDO and Bowel Cancer Australia collaborated with chef and food designer, Ryan L Foote, to create four Irregular Chocolates representing bowel cancer symptoms – Jammy (blood in your poo), Gooey (an obvious change in your bowel habit), Airy (weight loss you can’t explain) and Chunk (lump or swelling in your abdomen) – for the campaign. The ultra-luxe chocolates taste gorgeous – but also reflect the symptoms people should look out for when it comes to bowel cancer and come with an information pack.
The aim is to use the traditional Valentine’s Day gift-giving get loved ones talking about a subject they tend not to discuss. Because if you really love someone, you can talk about anything. Even the awkward and uncomfortable, even your bowel habit.
The full campaign also includes video content of Elise’s heartfelt real-life experience. This content is running in social media channels, and an activation and influencer packs drive awareness and reach younger Australians. Boxes of the limited-edition boxes of Irregular Chocolates with information cards were also available as part of a giveaway, in the lead up to Valentine’s Day.
“We are grateful to work with Ryan and Clemenger BBDO on this unconventional campaign which aims to overcome the poo taboo and raise symptom awareness in younger people, as bowel cancer deadliest cancer for people aged 25-44.,” stated Bowel Cancer Australia CEO, Julien Wiggins.
Clemenger BBDO executive creative director, Richard Williams, added, “To turn around perceptions of bowel cancer, we need to smash stigmas and normalise talking about poo, especially among younger demographics who think bowel cancer can’t affect them. What better way to reach and engage with them than via social. And what better time to launch a chocolate-driven campaign than in the lead up to Valentine’s Day. Because if you really love someone, you can talk about anything.”
