1 in 6 Black men will get prostate cancer (PC) during their lifetime, a disease they historically just don’t want to talk about.

Black communities are disproportionately impacted by PC due to deep rooted lack of trust in the healthcare system, implicit bias faced when seeking care, and cultural stigmas that influence proactive care.

With this in mind, Janssen Oncology approached us looking for a campaign with a single metric for success: saving lives

The Talk That Talk campaign drafts off the understanding that we are all the by-product of epic talks and declares that — guess what? It’s time for another one.

It's time to Talk that Talk and ritualize the prostate cancer conversation for Black men, making it a rite of passage as powerful as the one that inspires all women to get a mammogram at age 40.

How do you get Black men to talk about their health? How do you get them to talk about prostate cancer, a disease they historically have shown little interest in talking about?

I’ll tell you how — you lead with a once-in-a-generation story from someone they trust, know, and respect — Shannon Sharpe. Then, you create an integrated campaign that shows the richness of the Black experience in its every step with content, outreach, and inspiration rooted in a message of Black Joy and culturally relevant resources, so Black men can get informed and take action.

In the course of the campaign, Shannon revealed for the first time ever that he had personally been diagnosed, and beat, prostate cancer. He then went on a once-in-a generation PR blitz to jump-start the prostate cancer conversation.

Created by a diverse group of people, the integrated campaign portrayed the richness of the Black experience across its various touchpoints:

A content-driven website was home to culturally relevant resources and downloadable guides.

Campaign launch films showcased inspirational talks to move Black men to start the conversation with their loved ones.

Broadcast radio spots in culturally impactful venues like the Rickey Smiley Morning Show met Black men where they’re listening.

Talk That Talk also held event activations with trusted partner organizations, created targeted displays to appear on culturally relevant media platforms, and developed an organic Talk That Talk social media community that played host to the ongoing conversation.

The campaign resulted in thousands of men getting checked out, and its impact is just beginning. Black men are talking that talk. The PC conversation is becoming normalized in Black communities and Black men are getting screened early.

The Talk That Talk campaign is delivering on its mission: to inspire self-advocacy and action, and ultimately, to save the lives of Black men.

862 million impressions

72,000 Black men got screened

6,900 Black men got diagnosed