The Campaign

We've all been told to check our breasts regularly. And to see a doctor, if you find a lump. Years of highly-successful awareness campaigns have made it seem easy. But it is not. You think you know what you're looking for. But do your fingers really know what a tumour feels like? The breasts of survivors can help. Re-created in lifelike silicone, complete with a tumour set inside. So you could train your fingers on the breasts of someone with cancer. And really feel exactly what you should be looking for.

The Brief

Breaking local stigma, we wanted to bring the topic of breast cancer out into the open and give women free, and reliable access to information. Activated during breast cancer awareness month, the primary goal of the campaign was to emphasise the importance of performing regular and proper breast-self examinations. Women who visited the exhibit were also encouraged to sign up for discounted clinical examinations.

Creative Execution

The women whom we met through the Foundation, were open to spreading true and reliable information about breast cancer. Most importantly they were survivors themselves. They not only shared their stories with us, but also allowed us to recreate models of their breasts, complete with the tumours that were once there. These women, and their breasts then became our guides and ‘live’ educational models at an interactive exhibition. Breaking local taboos, visitors were invited to come forward to touch the breasts recreations and try to find the lumps inside. They experienced for themselves the difficulty of finding a lump, and discovered through touch what a lump really feels like, something that no amount of online searching or reading would ever be able to teach. This was one of the Foundation’s goals; to provide proper breast cancer education and support for the women of Malaysia.

To the surprise of many visitors, 1 in 3 found difficulty in finding the lumps without assistance. This discovery convinced them of the importance of regular, proper self-examinations backed by clinical examinations. This year, the number of breast health-check vouchers redeemed increased significantly and led to a 24% increase in clinical appointments made. The foundation received requests to exhibit at lifestyle centres, family-oriented malls and a road show organised by one of Malaysia’s leading healthcare providers.

The Direct elements of this campaign consist of the volunteer survivors themselves, conducting the 'direct selling', assisted by selling kit made up of models of their own breasts, with recreations of their cancerous lumps. Most women want to know more about breast cancer. They go online to find information, but there, something important is missing – the ability to touch. How do your fingers know what a tumour lump feels like, if you’ve never felt one before? We saw an opportunity for a more direct approach. To do so, we created an experiential on-ground exhibition that would allow women to learn proper breast self-examinations through real life touch. Survivors who acted as guides directly approached them, to share their stories, teach proper self-examination techniques, and encourage sign-ups for vouchers for discounted clinical breast exams.