Rethink is bringing back the tanning reflector as a book sleeve. And now it has a new life-saving purpose. The Sun Cover is an oversized book sleeve designed to flip the script on the infamous, sun-worshipping tanning reflectors of the 1970s. Instead of baking your skin, the shield uses UV-reflective tech to bounce harmful rays completely away from your upper body while you read.

The idea leads Rethink’s skin safety campaign for Melanoma Canada. Melanoma cases have more than tripled over the last three decades, with a 17% spike in diagnoses in recent years alone (McGill University Health Centre, 2025). Yet, recent data shows that three-quarters of Canadians still lounge in the peak midday sun, and many skip sunscreen entirely.

“We’re proud to flip a traditional tanning reflector on its head and modernise it into a sun cover that helps Canadians enjoy their books while safely enjoying the sun,” stated Falyn Katz, CEO of Melanoma Canada. “At Melanoma Canada, we are dedicated to educating Canadians on this largely preventable disease, and hope the Sun Cover reminds us all to enjoy time outside with care.”

“The Sun Cover captures the current obsession with retro-cool nostalgia and turns it into a public health intervention,” added Mathieu Lacombe, creative director at Rethink. “With its striking design, it’s a visual statement with purpose.”

The Sun Cover features a massive 30-inch adjustable design that fits almost any book or e-reader while creating a personal shade canopy. The premium UV-reflective material blocks and diverts radiation away from the face, neck and chest. It’s portable, lightweight and folds down easily into a beach bag, ensuring that summer reading doesn’t come with a side of sun damage. The umbrella-inspired pattern makes its purpose clear visually: providing protection for readers lying directly under the sun, whether on beaches, in parks, by pools or elsewhere.

Rethink led strategy and creative. The campaign launched in early July and will continue to show up throughout the summer.

Canadians can visit thesuncover.ca for a chance to win their own Sun Cover and join the sun safety movement.

Credits:
Client: Melanoma Canada
CEO: Falyn Katz
Senior Director Marketing: Jane Axford

Creative Agency: Rethink
Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais
Creative Director: Mathieu Lacombe
Art Director: Victor Pierre
Copywriter: Laurent Tremblay
Producer: Edith Cayer
Account Director: Hélène Royer
Head of Public Relations: Meredith Burns
Public Relations Directors: Chenda McKissick
Public Relations Director: Anais Tsang & Èle Thibault
PR Coordinators: Christina Avril-Dieudonné & Ricardo Felix

Stills Production: Shoot Studio
Photographer: Gabrielle Laca