Melanoma Canada's 'BurnWatch' Protects People from Drowning in UV Rays

Every year, approximately three times more Canadians die from skin cancer than they do from drowning. Which means the most dangerous part of going to the beach isn’t the water, it’s the sun. To raise awareness about the deadly effects the sun can have on skin at the time and place where it matters most, Melanoma Canada launched its BurnWatch campaign in collaboration with McCann Toronto, placing lifeguard towers in the water to watch over those sunbathing on the beach.

Starting this summer, certified ‘Burn Guards’ trained by dermatologists will alert beachgoers who spend too much time in the sun to put on sunscreen to protect them from ‘drowning’in UV rays. Melanoma Canada is also promoting an online test at BurnWatch.ca that allows anyone interested in becoming a ‘Burn Guard’ themselves to get certified and receive a derm-approved certificate within minutes.

The campaign was kicked off with its first outdoor activation at Port Dover Beach earlier in July and is accompanied by support on Social, Digital OOH, TV, Website, and PR through September 4th, along with a sun safety training video that will be air dropped to people at beaches across the country.

Melanoma Canada is keen to bring BurnWatch to beaches across Canada and urges public and privately-owned beach managers to get in touch and learn how they can become a partner and protect more people from skin cancer, this summer and beyond.