Movember is getting close and this year, UK creative agency, Matta, is helping to make sure that the 15^th annual Movember is the most successful yet.

Matta’s campaign, Whatever You Grow Will Save A Bro, encourages all men to help raise awareness and funds whoever they are, and no matter the type or size of moustache they can achieve.

The campaign features everyday Aussie Mo Bros including testicular cancer survivor, Harvee Pene; prostate cancer survivor, Charlie Jia; and mental health advocate, Nathan Appo; and includes a new TV advert voiced by comedian and TV personality, Dave Lawson.

59-year-old Queenslander, Charlie Jia, has been sprouting a Mo for over a decade, and is this year hoping to bring his fundraising total to more than $10,000.

“It’s amazing to see so many different faces from all over the world featured in the Movember campaign this year,” he stated. “As well as being a lot of fun to shoot and highlighting that anyone can grow a Mo, ‘Whatever You Grow Will Save a Bro’ has put Indigenous men’s health front and centre. It also shows that background, colour and beliefs don’t matter, because prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health issues won’t discriminate.”

Movember’s chief marketing officer, Juliette Smith, noted, “Whatever You Grow Will Save A Bro arose from the insight that some men want to support the charity but feel embarrassed by their facial hair, or its perceived inadequacy. It also nods to the fact that the landscape of male grooming has changed, where the ask for many is no longer ‘grow a moustache’ but increasingly more often ‘shave your beard’, adding another layer of vulnerability for the grower.

“The campaign aims to dispel these anxieties, demonstrating the ultimate importance of Movember; that the wider awareness of our charity and its causes; prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health, can change lives for better.”

Matta’s design and production director, Tom Allwood, added “Movember is so important in raising often un-talked about issues among men. We found a way of bringing people together from all backgrounds, showing that we’re all unique, but focusing throughout on the integral message of the movement.”

Whatever You Grow Will Save A Bro is running on Movember’s global social network and commercial radio and TV networks nationally.

The charity’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. To donate or learn more, please visit Movember.com

Do you know how Movember began?

In 2003, Melbourne mates, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, began reminiscing about recurring fashion trends, over a beer at the Gypsy Bar in Fitzroy. They noted that the moustache was due for a comeback and decided to make it happen.

A friend’s mother was fundraising for breast cancer, so they decided to give their idea a worthy cause – men’s health and prostate cancer. They designed the rules of Movember, which are still in place today, and agreed to charge $10 to grow a Mo. Travis designed the first Movember logo, and they sent an email challenging men with the call, “Are you man enough to be my man?”

30 men took up the challenge, so the pair formalised in 2004. In the first Movember, Spain and the UK joined in and 450 Mo Bros raised $54,000.

There are now official campaigns in 21 countries and $730 million has been raised to fund more than 1,000 men’s health programs.