SITUATION:

Skin Cancer is Australia’s ‘national cancer’ - killing around 2,500 Australians every year. The most common cancer amongst young people, costing the country more than 1.68 Billion dollars a year. Despite sunscreen and UV protection being helpful preventatives, skin checks are the most effective solution to reduce the mortality rate, with 98% of skin cancers successfully treatable if detected early.

THE BRIEF:

Come up with a killer campaign to save lives! We needed an idea to bring attention to both the prevalence of skin cancer and the importance of skin checks. With no initial media spend and a restricted production budget, disruption was key.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

Build awareness of the health condition and educate about the effectiveness of skin checks

SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:

Drive action (skin checks)

Raise funds for a national skin check program

If stripping off in the sun causes skin cancer, why were we encouraging people to take off their clothes at the beach? Well, the campaign was intentionally designed to be jarring, as the very action that can be deadly will also save your life.

For decades Australians have been conditioned to believe that covering up is the only way to reduce the mortality rate of skin cancer, but covering up doesn’t make skin cancer go away, it hides the problem. We put bare skin on display, making it unmissable, demanding attention and igniting the conversation about skin checks ahead of summer.

The large-scale stunt manifested on Australia’s biggest stage: Bondi Beach. At 5am during skin cancer action week 2,500 naked bodies gathered, representing the lives lost to skin cancer each year in Australia - not only a confronting image, but one that made history in Australia and around the world.

INSIGHT

The stats of skin cancer in Australia were drastically rising, but despite Aussies stripping off at the beach for everyone to see, they weren't taking their clothes off for a life saving skin check.

KEY MESSAGE

“Strip off for skin cancer! Show some skin, to save some skin”. Aussies were challenged to bare-it-all wherever they were, however they could, raising an important message to take off your clothes for a life saving skin check.

AUDIENCE

Just as skin cancer doesn’t discriminate, neither did our campaign. We used diverse talent from all backgrounds, targeting all Australians

CREATION OF ASSETS

We knew we had to go big to have an impact. We flew renowned global photographer Spencer Tunick to Bondi for our stunt, as film, billboards, digital and radio spots all drove audiences to our website to sign up to strip off, get a skin check and make a life-saving donation.

The campaign had two phases:

LAUNCH: The fundraising platform was launched 2 months before summer with notable sportspeople, actors, musicians and media personalities pledging their support in content. Press conferences without clothes amplified the conversation. Podcasters, Radio announcers and TV hosts all pledged to strip nude on Bondi Beach, while skin cancer survivors also took part in the activity to reinforce the seriousness of the message.

STUNT: Taking place during skin cancer action week at 5am on the last Saturday before summer, 2,500 brave souls gathered nude on Bondi beach, in front of the world's media. History was made as Bondi was declared a nude beach by the mayor. Pop up skin check clinics lined Bondi’s foreshore for anyone to access.

The media value of the activity was incomprehensible, with coverage in hundreds of media publications across Australia and the world earning 485 million+ in reach.

MEDIA OUTPUTS:

The campaign was covered by all tiers of publications, globally and locally, earning 485 million+ in reach. The quality of our message was captured everywhere:

CNN - “Half-artwork, half-public health campaign”

ABC - “Using Fine art to draw attention to skin cancer”

Fox News - “Reminding people of the fragility of life and the importance of skin checks”

USA Today - “A big, bold and beautiful celebration of skin. Something we all have in common”

Forbes “Why were all these folks willing to expose everything down under and up-over?”

BBC - “Spencer Tunick’s latest project encourages Australian’s to get regular skin checks”

A small section of the outlets that covered the campaign:

INTERNATIONAL:

BBC NEWS

Fox News

USA Today

CNN

New York Post

Euro News

Japan Today

Huffington Post

India Times

WELT Netzreporter

Indian Express

Financial Express

Philippine Star

Manila Bulletin

AUSTRALIA:

7 News

Sunrise

Today Show

9 News

10 News

ABC News

The Australian

Guardian

Daily Mail

Sydney Morning Herald

The Age

WA Today

News.com.au

Nine News

SBS

Yahoo News

Perth Now

Broadsheet

TimeOut

Concrete Playground

WHO

Monster Children

Forbes Advocate

+ Hundreds more

AUDIENCE & BUSINESS OUTCOMES:

1,227.5% increase in organic social engagement

200% increase in ‘skin check’ search terms on Google

60% increase in skin check bookings (our biggest period in the history of the charity)

250% uplift in online sign ups as charity ambassadors

$350,000 funds raised to support a national skin check program

312 skin cancers found in our pop-up clinics over summer