Breast Cancer Now Breaks the Fourth Wall to Encourage People to Talk More Openly about Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Now, the research and support charity, is launching a campaign created by BMB, encouraging people to talk more openly about breast cancer.

The campaign is running during Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), across TV, social and radio, and also supported in press and digital. It marks the first TV campaign from BMB since the creative agency was appointed to the Breast Cancer Now account last year.

In the TV spot, 'Real Talk', a woman navigates life with breast cancer, from diagnosis through to treatment and beyond. Breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to camera throughout the spot, she shares with the viewers her real feelings, in contrast to the more carefully considered responses we hear her give to her friends and loved ones. But it’s in a Breast Cancer Now support group that she feels she can share her true feelings out loud: delivering the same response both in her aside to camera and to the person she’s talking to, a member of the Breast Cancer Now support group, who has also experienced breast cancer.

The ad ends with the message: “Want to talk more openly about breast cancer? We’re Here”, inviting people who might be worried about or experiencing breast cancer to turn to the charity and find the support to talk more openly about breast cancer.

Directed by the Cannes Grand Prix winning David Dearlove, through Blink, the 60-second spot breaks on ITV on 26 September, a 30-second edit will also debut on this date, and an extended 80-second edit will be used for social channels.

Rachael Franklin, director of fundraising, communications and engagement at Breast Cancer Now says: ‘We’re delighted to launch our latest brand campaign this Breast Cancer Awareness Month which aims to open up conversations about breast cancer and ensure anyone affected by the disease knows we’re here. We know that a breast cancer diagnosis can impact someone’s life in so many ways, with those who contact our nurses via our online Forum or Helpline often sharing feelings of isolation, confusion and fear at stepping into the unknown – feelings they don’t always feel they can share openly with family and friends. 

“It’s this reality we portray in our TV ad, in a bid to encourage open conversations around breast cancer. We want to remind anyone affected by breast cancer that you’re not alone – from our nurses to researchers, to fellow breast cancer patients, Breast Cancer Now is here for you. With over 55,000 women a year and one man every day being diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, there’s no time to waste in opening up real talk about the disease," Rachael concludes.

Matt Lever, CCO at BMB adds: “Breaking the fourth wall allows us to get beyond the sanitised, walking-on-eggshells way that people sometimes feel they have to talk about breast cancer. Hopefully our campaign will make breast cancer feel less daunting and make Breast Cancer Now be seen as the place to turn if you want to talk more openly about your breast cancer experience”.

The new campaign builds on Breast Cancer Now’s striking brand print campaign by BMB launched earlier in the year, which showed individuals explaining how they are touched by breast cancer and the many ways the charity helps people affected by breast cancer.