I TOUCH MYSELF PROJECT
| Title | I TOUCH MYSELF PROJECT |
| Brand | CANCER COUNCIL NSW |
| Product / Service | BREAST CANCER AWARENESS |
| Category | A01. Creative Effectiveness |
| Entrant | J. WALTER THOMPSON Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Entrant Company | J. WALTER THOMPSON Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Advertising Agency | J. WALTER THOMPSON Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Production Company | COLLIDER Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
Credits
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Langley | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Executive Creative Director |
| Mark Harricks | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Executive Creative Director |
| Jenny Willits | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | General Manager |
| Vicky Ryan | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Agency Producer |
| Alexandra Antoniou | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Senior Art Director |
| Sylvianne Heim | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Senior Writer |
| Sinead Roarty | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Senior Writer |
| Paul Everson | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Client Services Director |
| Caroline Ludwell | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Account Director |
| Monica Tobin | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Account Manager |
| Ali Clemesha | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Account Executive |
| Angela Morris | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Executive Planning Director |
| Trevor Crossman | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Digital Strategy |
| Jesse James Mcelroy | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Director/Editor |
| Tommie McSweeney | J. Walter Thompson Sydney | Agency Tv Production |
| Daniel Askill | Collider | Director |
| Lorin Askill | Collider | Director |
| Joel Pront | Collider | Director |
| Charley Drayton | Soulsponge | Executive Producer |
| Chrissy Amphlett | Divinyls | Music |
Brief Explanation
Every year 1 in 8 Australian women will develop this devastating cancer. Self-examination detects 40% more early cancers than mammograms, yet it is still not widely discussed or practised regularly by enough women to make a difference. The brief therefore was to get the subject of breast cancer self-examination on women’s radar. Key objectives were to create buzz and media coverage. No numerical KPI’s were set however. For one simple reason, we had no budget. The client is a charity and pragmatic with their expectations. For them, any free publicity on this issue would be invaluable. Our strategy, was to subvert the traditional convention of survivor stories. Instead we chose to prompt a sense of susceptibility & vulnerability by focusing on the brutal reality that breast cancer - if not detected early enough – is a killer disease. Our creative solution was not to mourn, but to celebrate a breast cancer victim, in a way never done before… with a piece of branded entertainment. The idea was to honour an incredible woman who in 2012 died from breast cancer - Australian rock diva Chrissy Amphlett, of the Divinyls, Her biggest hit was called 'I Touch Myself'. Released in December 1990, the single reached number 1 on the Australian charts and Top 5 in the US. We created the ‘I Touch Myself Project’, bringing together ten of Australia’s leading female singers to create a moving music video. Transforming a song about female sexuality into an anthem for breast cancer self-examination, to inspire a generation of women to touch themselves. The campaign succeeded: reaching 13.8 million (59.6%) Australians through earned media and over 10 million through social media. International media delivered audiences of 314 million plus. In total it achieved $AUD7 million in free PR. #itouchmyselfproject became a trending topic on Facebook for 2 days. Gratifyingly campaign also drove first time self-examination (42.4%) and reminded those who had become irregular or lapsed (up to 70%) to touch themselves again. Which goes to prove that – with the right idea - branded entertainment has another valuable use, as an effective strategy for a hard hitting behaviour change campaign. SOURCES 1. Media Coverage Tracking 2. Sysomos social media reach 3. Media Coverage Tracking. Calculated using industry standards: 1) Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) = standard ad rate x column inches / seconds 2) PR Value = AVE x 3 4. Facebook metrics