Rialto Channel Brings Women to Tears in the Name of Breast Cancer Research

Rialto Channel is the storyteller and curates movies that provide the audience with a deeper, more meaningful experience. They took this to a new level last week with a groundbreaking research event via DDB New Zealand, that made the audience itself part of the story.

While enjoying the emotional rollercoaster of the critically acclaimed romantic-drama Brooklyn, cinemagoers in New Zealand also donated their tears to researchers pioneering a breakthrough breast cancer diagnosis device.

Ascendant Dx, an American research company on the cutting-edge of breast cancer detection technology have discovered that tears could potentially be used to detect breast cancer with up to 90 percent accuracy. But the research team have been on the lookout for willing donors whose tears will help the scientists conduct much needed experiments to refine the test.


Rialto Channel decided to bring the power of film to the cause and help further this amazing research, because nothing makes you cry like a good movie. So in partnership with Ascendant Dx and The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation they hosted The Breast Cancer Screenings; a cinema event that provided Ascendant Dx scientists the opportunity to collect the tears of around 400 New Zealand women over the course of three film screenings throughout the day.

Says Roger, general manager, Rialto Channel: "We're in the business of emotional journeys. When the DDB team told us about this incredible research, we were so excited. We realised that our stories are producing an abundance of tears across the country -- we're the perfect partners to help this research come to fruition."

Omid Moghadam, founder and CEO of Ascendant Dx, says that the key to surviving breast cancer is early detection.

Says Moghadam: "A fast, accurate and inexpensive diagnostic test like ours could help save lives, in both advanced countries like New Zealand and the United States by making current breast cancer screening methods more efficient, and in the developing world where it can democratise breast cancer screening by giving women an option beyond a self-exam.

"We're so thankful to DDB NZ for connecting us with Rialto Channel and having this crazy idea that, through the power of film, you can bring two groups together from across the globe and make a real difference."

Damon Stapleton, CCO at DDB New Zealand says the event took months of research and planning to pull off and also included a month of curated emotional films on Rialto Channel over the course of Breast Cancer Awareness month and an integrated campaign to invite women to the event.

Says Stapleton: "This was a big idea. I mean, this really shows what happens when you have a big idea, a piece of magic, and you don't say to yourself, 'oh, this'll never happen, let's try something easier'.

"It was such a team effort. From everybody involved - and there were a lot of people. Rialto Channel, Ascendant Dx, and the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, whose support was invaluable in making this happen. And of course the team at DDB, who can go from reading esoteric medical research on an obscure website on some corner of the internet to bringing an incredible event like this to life. It's a beautiful thing."

Rialto Channel
General Manager: Roger Wyllie
Marketing Executive: Natalie Crane

New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation:
CEO: Van Henderson

Research and Communications Manager: Adèle Gautier

Ascendant Dx:
CEO: Omid Moghadam
Chief Scientist: Anna Daily
Senior Scientist: Linsday Rutherford
Executive Assistant: Jen Morio

DDB:
Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton
Executive Creative Director: Shane Bradnick
Creative Director: Brett Colliver
Creative Director: Mike Felix
Creative Director: James Connor
Creative Director: Christie Cooper
Art Director: Jake O'Driscoll
Copywriter: Sylvia Humphries
Lead Business Partner: Nikki McKelvie
Senior Business Manager: Demi Nielsen
Business Manager: Bella Macdonald
Studio Manager: Marcel de Ruiter
Print Producer: Julz Lane
Executive Producer: Judy Thompson
Agency Producer: Alva Casey
Agency Producer: Jane Mill
Editor: Steve Gulik
Editor: Mark Tretheway
Sound Engineer: Dan Partington
Digital Director: Liz Knox
Executive Digital Producer: Johannes Gertz
Head of Digital Design: Jason Vertongen
Digital Designer: David Kirschberg

Mango PR
General Manager: Sean Brown
Account Manager: Max Burt

Other credits
Illustrations: Minky Stapleton
Photography: Mat Baker
Retouching: Carl Baker
Presenter: Helene Ravlich
Voice: Francesca Rudkin, Lucy Wigmore