Sunburned Lobsters Line the Cosmos in Mollie’s Fund's 'Solar Distancing' Campaign

While 'social distancing' may prevent us from catching the coronavirus, 'Solar Distancing', a new animated spot launched by FCB Health Network company AREA 23 on behalf of Mollie’s Fund, shows that no amount of distance from the sun can keep us safe from melanoma. 'Solar Distancing' is AREA 23 and Mollie’s Fund’s third joint crusade against melanoma and sheds light on the dangers of overexposure to the sun while educating viewers about the importance of using sunscreen. 

'Solar Distancing' journeys through beautiful yet dangerous interstellar worlds where the sun is the enemy and Earth is the desired refuge. Sunburned lobsters line the cosmos, while strange solar systems, deadly meteor showers and bottomless wormholes try to harm them in polarizing ways. The lobsters finally reach Earth, but soon discover there is no escaping the sun’s ferocity without the aid of sunscreen.

“We wanted to use the same ‘distancing’ COVID-19 language to really get the message across that no matter how far you are from the sun, you can’t prevent skin cancer unless you wear sunscreen,” said Tim Hawkey, chief creative officer of AREA 23. “You can stand nearly 500 billion feet away from the sun, but without sunscreen, you won’t protect yourself from the dangers of melanoma.”

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined. The American Cancer Society cited melanoma as the deadliest of all skin cancers, claiming more than 10,000 lives annually.  

“In these challenging times, AREA 23 has managed to create an explosive campaign to educate the public about skin cancer,” said Jack Biggane, co-founder of Mollie’s Fund. “Thanks to our partnership with AREA 23, we have been able to influence millions and we hope our newest effort influences many more.”