By CANSA
Just five percent of women regularly check their breasts for signs of cancer.
According to the National Cancer Registry 2019, breast cancer remains
the most prevalent of cancers amongst women, and females have a one in 27 lifetime risk
of developing it.
The breast is the leading cancer site in women throughout the world, states research by
Bruni et al. (2019). It is also the leading cause of female cancer deaths in almost all
countries, except for the most economically developed, in which it is second to lung
cancer.
While many factors such as age, family history, genetics and even diet play a role in the
chances of developing breast cancer, early detection plays a key role in effective treatment
and outcomes.
To encourage self-screening, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has joined
hands with retail chain Food Lover’s Market and Grid Worldwide, a leading branding and
design agency, in a national campaign that appeals to shoppers to check their breasts as
often as they check out their fruit and vegetables.
Taking place in October, for breast cancer awareness month, the Check Them Out
campaign will see the fresh produce aisles of all Food Lover’s Market and Food Lover’s
Eatery stores across the country brandished with cheeky stickers to remind women to
perform home self-examinations to spot lumps, bumps and other irregularities, which could
be signs of breast cancer.
While the campaign aims to get a reaction from shoppers in a good way, the objective is to
drive proactive cancer screening, as women treated for early breast cancer are likely to
become long-term survivors, according to a study published in 2023 by leading medical
research group, The BMJ.
In addition to quirky stickers on fruits and vegetables, the Check Them Out campaign also
takes the form of rebranded shopping bags and in-store promotional posters that detail
how to conduct a self-examination. In-store and campaign artwork directs ladies to the
CANSA page for further information and crucial next steps should they find something
suspicious.
As the ‘Make it Mean Something Company’, Grid Worldwide proactively approached
CANSA and Food Lover’s Market for the Check Them Out campaign. “Everyone knows
someone who has been affected by cancer” says Lauren Shewitz, creative director at Grid.
“As a team, we wanted to create a relevant, memorable and impactful campaign that not
only created awareness but also brought meaning to marketing, with the ultimate objective
of saving lives.”
Terri Coppin Harris, head of Culture and Communication at Food Lover’s Market, says this
was an opportunity they couldn’t afford to miss. “As a retailer that holds fast to strong
family values, we could not pass on the chance to weigh in and support this campaign.
Breast cancer is still listed as the top invasive cancer reported for South African women, and this made us realise that it can so easily affect our shoppers and team members. We
loved the idea of creating a bold reminder in our stores to educate our customers and our
team about self-examination and screening.”
While shoppers will be reminded to ‘check out their melons’ and ‘feel their avos’ through
stickers on selected seasonal fruit, Food Lover’s Market has elevated the campaign in-
house by creating an equally strong awareness campaign to engage and inform all Food
Lover’s Market team members on the importance of preventative screenings.
Says Coppin Harris, “I am confident that this campaign will garner the reaction we want.
We’re aiming to grab shopper attention in a big way as it’s not every day you see fruit
linked to some of our most intimate parts. Hopefully, it will make our consumers stop, think
and take action.”
“We’re excited to align ourselves with Food Lover’s Market and Grid Worldwide for the
Check Them Out campaign,” adds Lorraine Govender, National Manager, Health
Promotion at CANSA. “Together, we are raising awareness in a proactive and meaningful
way, and delivering on the message that early detection is critical. We want to urge
everyone to be aware of their own bodies, look out for anything that is unusual, and get
checked out early - it could save your life.”
Commentaires