Alba Foundation is asking men to take a pregnancy test. Ogilvy Mexico and Ogilvy Health New York are challenging them to do it, with a provocative campaign about bravery, or “balls”. Alba Foundation has developed a test with the wonderful name, Test-icles. It detects early testicular cancer through self-examination using a pregnancy test.
“If we were to ask men whether they believe that pregnancy tests are only meant for women, the majority would likely answer, ‘Yes’. And if we then ask what would happen if a man were to take a pregnancy test, most would say ‘Nothing at all’. Despite this common belief, the truth is that the two are actually very closely related. A simple pregnancy test detects a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin beta fraction that is secreted during pregnancy and can be found in the urine. However, this hormone is also produced in certain types of testicular cancer. This is significant because the readily available pregnancy test could be lifesaving for many patients,” explained Dr Miguel Angel Alvarez Avitia, a medical oncologist and an expert in Genitourinary Cancer at the National Cancer Institute.
Testicular cancer affects more than 3,337 people annually in Mexico. And it is estimated that nearly 10,000 men will develop testicular cancer each year in the United States. What’s surprising is that the highest incidence rate is found among people aged 15 to 35. Unfortunately, many cases are detected at advanced stages, which is why it is expected that the number of cases will increase by around 13% in the upcoming years.
Men tend to avoid making medical appointments and the standard testicular cancer test even more.
“Cultural barriers exist in society, with 60% to 90% of the male population avoiding medical appointments due to embarrassment, fear, or just not feeling like they need it. So, we thought about how we can inspire more and more men to overcome any barrier. That’s how we gave life to ‘Tano y Nato’ to bring a clear, and at the same time, friendly message about testicular cancer,” explained Rafael Reina, CCO of Ogilvy Mexico & Miami.
Keka Morelle, CCO Ogilvy Latam & Miami, added, “Test-icles was born out of a deep conviction in the power of creativity, research, and science to make a real and positive impact on people’s lives. Testicles proves that we can use humour to create great, relevant ideas for very serious matters.”
Renata Maia, CCO of Ogilvy Health North America, commented, “It is so unexpected and brave to ask men to take a pregnancy test. And Test-icles break barriers and is delightfully surprising. That is the power of understanding the science behind the products so we can innovate the way we use them in order to save lives. What we did was create product usage innovation, opening up a whole new method of diagnosis. Because when you make a breakthrough to help with early diagnosis, then you are making healthcare more affordable and also encouraging changing habits in favour of a better quality of life.”
The Test-icles campaign is receiving great exposure in social networks, digital media, and OOH. Content creators have also joined in, encouraging their followers to take the test.
Credits
Client: Alba Foundation
Founder & President: Rebecca De Alba
Brand Director: Miryana Pérez
Brand Manager: Artemisa Couto
Creative Agency: Ogilvy Mexico
Chief Creative Officers: Liz Taylor, Joe Sciarrotta, Renata Maia & Rafael Reina
Chief Executive Officers: Horacio Genolet, Verónica Hernández & Kim Johnson
Chief Strategy Officers: Keka Morelle & Thais Frazao
Creative Director: Marcela “Mashe” Estrada
Creatives: Adriana Weinberg & Diego Rodríguez
Chief Operating Officer: Julian Torres
Communications Directors: Marina Piacentini & Paula Santiago
Art Director: Uriel Sánchez Cureño
Copywriter: Francisco “Curi” Miranda
Motion Designer: Izamary Ramírez
Business Lead: Rebeca Rios
Account Director: David Ontiveros
Head of Production: Rosa Elena Arizmendi
Producer: Alejandra Rodríguez
Planning Director: Landy Millán
Experience Designer: Laurie King
Operations: Karla Magallán
Digital Producer: Armando Rosas
UI Designer: Juan Carlos Betancourt
Designers: Elena Álvarez, Isaac Pozos & Carlos Martínez
Animation: Believe.TV
