Why is this work relevant for Media?

The Melanoma typeface was designed with a leading typographer to be a working font that can be used alongside any other brand’s typeface. We gave our Melanoma Typeface to some of the nation’s biggest brands to use for their summer advertising. Our media placements allowed us to use live UV data to affect our spots so that when the UV index was at a dangerous level, our spots appeared at their most mutated. This ensured that we could be where people were over the summer, delivering the message when it’s most relevant- when the sun is at its most dangerous.

Background

80% of cancer diagnoses in New Zealand are for Melanoma. Killing more people than any other cancer in New Zealand. There’s a good chance of survival if you catch it early. But the only symptom is a new spot or a subtle change to an existing spot, which many people don't notice. And if they notice something, there’s little awareness on what to look for, and what melanoma symptoms look like.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

We created a typeface that consists of only full stops: The Melanoma Typeface. The font was designed with a leading typographer and a dermatologist to accurately represent melanoma, with each weight depicting a different symptom. And just like a real melanoma, it changed in response to UV light. To mirror the existing behaviour that people have with spots on their skin, we made subtle changes to spots that are in the public eye every day. In ads and on product labels for some of the biggest brands in the country. Designed for people to notice- or not. We gave our Melanoma Typeface to some of the nation’s biggest brands to use in their summer advertising.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Our target audience was all New Zealanders, as melanoma can affect anyone and is directly linked to how much UV exposure a person gets throughout their life. This message is particularly relevant during summer. That’s why we chose to partner with some of the biggest brands to hijack their ads during summer with our full stops that would hide in plain sight until they began to mutate. By drawing attention to these usually benign spots we prompted people to take a closer look at their own, as well as learn more about what to look for when it comes to skin changes.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The Melanoma typeface was designed with a leading typographer to be a working font that can be used alongside any other brand’s typeface. We gave our Melanoma Typeface to some of the nation’s biggest brands to use for two weeks in their summer advertising. The spots appeared in ads for a Coca-Cola product, New Zealand Lotteries, the national Weather bureau, a summer festival and the largest out of home advertising organisation in the country. Our media placements allowed us to use live UV data to affect our spots so that when the UV index was at a dangerous level, our spots appeared at their most mutated. This ensured that we could be where people were over the summer, delivering the message when it’s most relevant- when the sun is at its most dangerous.

List the results (30% of vote)

Our message reached 95% of the population during the most dangerous time for melanoma- summer. More people than ever before were prompted to book potentially life-saving skin checks.