A man meets his granddaughter-to-be who promises him the chance to get to know her if he looks after himself. A BBQ informs a man that the dream grill and a future of summer family BBQs awaits him on his 60th birthday. VCCP London and Cancer UK are hoping that this untraditional cancer awareness campaigns, that doesn’t focus on the negatives of not knowing your risk and all the scary things that can happen when you don’t, will capture men’s imagination and hopes for the future they want to be around to see. The strategy also allows for a humorous take, which runs through the campaign, to open up the conversation and lighten a serious issue for many.
A lot is at stake. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year on average – that’s 143 men every day. 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer, and for Black men the risk is double. Around 475,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer and one man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes – that’s more than 12,000 men every year and 33 men every day, including Father’s Day. Prostate cancer is curable if caught early, but early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms, so it is vital that men know their risk.
The creative platform, A future full of good things, launched with two films, Layla and BBQ, that went to air during FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester United – with Manchester in an area hit hard by late diagnoses. It forms part of Prostate Cancer UK’s wider campaign, Find it Earlier.
Both films also work to break down barriers that historically stopped men from checking their risk of prostate cancer. Layla and BBQ both openly challenge the worry for many men that a test for prostate cancer must mean a finger up the bum. In fact, the best test for prostate cancer is a simple blood test you can get free from your GP and Prostate Cancer UK say you don’t need a finger up the bum to check for prostate cancer.
VCCP’s global content creation studio, Girl&Bear, worked with Gary Freedman and MJZ to create the films, that brought to life a baby and a BBQ through advances in AI. The films also feature the voice talent of Ralph Ineson as the barbeque, BAFTA-winning Top Boy star, Jasmine Jobson, as Layla and Hugh Dennis as the brand voice.
The campaign will run across the UK – with TV, social and PR working to reach men at risk throughout the country. Radio advertising will also target men in specific nations and regions, especially Scotland, the Midlands, the North West, Wales and the South West, areas which have higher rates of late-stage diagnosis. Tailored social advertising and PR will reach those most affected by health inequalities, beginning with Black men.
John Dickinson-Lilley, director of communications at Prostate Cancer UK, stated, “We’re delighted that this campaign takes a fresh approach to raising awareness of the most common cancer in men, prostate cancer. We’re focusing on all the positives in a future where men with prostate cancer get an earlier diagnosis, and what that means for them and their loved ones. A talking BBQ and a grandchild from the future might not be what you expect from a charity raising awareness of cancer risk, but we’re driven to grab men’s attention across the UK with this vital message, and we’re starting at one of the biggest events in the summer of sport with a spot in the FA Cup Final.
“We want all men at risk, so that’s men over 50, Black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer, to take just 30 seconds to check their risk online with Prostate Cancer UK’s Risk Checker. It’ll tell you if you’re at higher risk, and let you know what you can choose to do about it. With finding prostate cancer, earlier is always better, so it’s about time you checked your risk.”
Jim Thornton, executive creative director at VCCP London, added, “As that wise young owl Darren Bailes (our CCO) once observed; ‘we spend the first half of our lives trying to kill ourselves and the second half desperately trying to stay alive’. This beautiful, and beautifully realised, idea neatly brings to life exactly why those of us of a certain age are so desperate to stay alive – the promise of grandchildren, fabulous bbqs, more Stoke games, and all the other wonderful things later life has to offer. And it deftly hammers home the message to all the men in our lives that it REALLY is about time they checked their risk of prostate cancer.”
The full campaign covers TV, BVOD, Linear Radio, Digital Audio and Social until June 30, with another top-rated TV spot in the opening game of Euro 2024 between Scotland and Germany on June 15. The campaign also runs throughout Men’s Health Week and on Father’s Day, with Prostate Cancer UK working to drive a national conversation about the most common cancer in men at these key calendar moments. Media planning and buying is led by the7stars.
VCCP London was appointed to work with Prostate Cancer UK on a project basis following a competitive pitch process. In addition to this campaign VCCP London has been working on a new brand platform for Prostate Cancer UK to help drive organisational growth and brand trust. The brand platform, It’s About Time, has been incorporated into this risk awareness campaign.
