Cancer Council Victoria has tapped Bastion for its latest SunSmart campaign, aiming to change the behaviours of Victorians to cover up in the sun.
The campaign, ‘When you go out, don’t let cancer in’, highlights how repeated exposure to the sun’s UV through everyday activities can lead to skin cancer including melanoma, and spread to vital organs.
“There’s a dangerous perception amongst many Victorians that when it comes to sun protection, being ‘fairly good, most of the time’ is sufficient, alongside a real lack of awareness of about how serious skin cancer can be,” said Angela Morris, chief strategy officer at Bastion.
“Our campaign is designed to address this complacency by reframing the risk that incidental sun exposure brings and to drive better, more frequent sun protection behaviours.”
As part of the campaign, a new call to action has launched: ‘Once the index hits 3, cover up from UV’. It is included in all executions, and championed across digital OOH billboards where the real-time UV index will be displayed.
Head of media and communications at Cancer Council Victoria, Kelly Dienaar, said: “While we have made significant progress in skin cancer prevention in Victoria, particularly among younger generations, research indicates that only half of Victorians incorporate sun protection into their daily routines during summer.
“Often, it is the everyday activities that expose people to UV radiation,” she continued. “To ensure the continuity of our effective skin cancer prevention efforts, social marketing campaigns like this serve as crucial reminders of the potential impact of complacency and underscore the importance of protecting oneself from UV radiation.”
Bastion’s creative director, Chris Searle, concluded: “The emotive power in this idea is in the juxtaposition – connecting occasions that you don’t associate with skin cancer to the risk of a serious secondary cancer. We believe this will make a real difference in motivating people to use sun protection so that cancer doesn’t get a chance to start.”
The campaign is live across OLV, print, digital display, OOH and social media.
