The vast majority of women (85% according to the most recent data) look for health advice online but “How do I check my breasts” is a question that Siri currently can’t answer, even though when it comes to the male body, she can tell you how to check your testicles for signs of cancer and even respond to slang terms for the male anatomy, and even though she is heard over a billion devices.

The campaign video begins with Jacobsen’s voice encouraging women to touch themselves, then explains the step-by-step process in detail. For the awareness message to be shared widely, the team behind the campaign skirted around nudity censorship guidelines on social media by creating a digital body for the voice assistant.

Jacobsen commented, “I jumped at the chance to advocate for women to no longer be penalised by gender bias in tech devices. With one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer, hopefully women will receive the lifesaving information they need.”

Sinead Roarty, creative director at Wunderman Thompson stated, “The I Touch Myself Project’s mission is to encourage young women to touch themselves regularly to find early signs of cancer. But with draconian nipple regulations on social media and inconsistent responses by voice assistants, the implication that the female body is inherently pornographic has created a barrier to delivering basic health messages. It’s sexist and dangerous.”

Angela Morris, National chief strategy officer, Wunderman Thompson, added, “As our reliance on voice tech increases, so does the responsibility of the companies behind them to design them without gender bias. This campaign shines a light on that. For real, sustainable change we need to see a commitment to eliminate all forms of bias when developing products.”

To create the digital woman, Collider collaborated with UTS ProtoSpace to laser scan the human form and then integrated the 3D scans into a digital world that people might imagine for a voice assistant, experimenting with various light and sound responsive visual effects while ensuring legibility of the breast check poses.

The campaign is running across social and digital platforms, as well as a microsite featuring breast health information. Wunderman Thompson has also built a Breast Check Skill for Alexa, that once approved, will enable Amazon devices to respond to the question, “How do I check my breasts?”, helping to close the information gap even further.

Credits

Creative Agency: Wunderman Thompson Australia

National Chief Creative Officer: Simon Langley

Creative Director Sydney: Sinead Roarty

National Chief Strategy Officer: Angela Morris

Art Director: Amee Wilson

Copywriter: James Southey

Partner: Ana Lynch

Engagement Manager: Bronte Rohrig

Senior Producer: Gabe Hammond

Editor: Kel Gronow

Junior Producer: Chloe Marshall

Creative Director, Content: Brie Stewart

Front End Developer: Sam Cole, Joe Campbell  & Ari Friedgut

Creative Designer: Evelyn Tran

Senior UX Designer: Lachlan Sunderland

Delivery Lead: Emmanuelle Revelut

Head of Production: Jackie Archer

Editor: Dave Wade

Senior Designer: Daniella Coles

Associate Producer: Heidi Fidel

Production Company: Collider

Director: Andrew van der Westhuyzen

Technical Director: Hugh Carrick-Allan

DoP: Jonathon Pilkington

Managing Director: Rachael Ford-Davies

Producer: Lucy Pilkington

Head of Studio, Production: Naomi Iland

Executive Producer, Digital: Annabel Stevens

3D scans courtesy of UTS ProtoSpace

Lighting & Camera Assistant: Jon Brown

Production: Smashbox Studios New York

Avatar Model: Danielle Jackson

Music composition: Pat Thrall

Song Zu Sound Designer: Abby Sie

Producer: Olivia Ray

Original Music Track Songwriters: Christina Amphlett, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg & Mark McEntee

PR: Hill + Knowlton Strategies

Featuring: Karen Jacobsen

Avatar Model: Danielle Jackson

Client: I Touch Myself Project

Ambassador: Rahni Sadler

Directors: Charley Drayton, Marcia Mason & Bernard Drayton