The only time women really pay attention to their breasts is when they're shopping for lingerie. But if they did it every day, it could save their life. That is why Palmers, one of the biggest European lingerie brands, created The Cancer Bra. The first bra with breast cancer, to keep women beautiful not only on the outside, but also on the inside. A silicone lump the size of a breast tumour created discomfort while trying the bra on – recreating the horror of the moment you discover breast cancer and promoting the message: early detection through breast self-examination saves lives. The NFC sticker tag led women directly to the cancerbra.com (call-to-action), where they learned about the importance and correct ways of breast self-examination in all detail.

The campaign took place in Palmers shops in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Zagreb (Croatia). A silicone lump was inserted in the bra for a period of 3 weeks, starting 21. April 2016 – giving women the realistic, intimate experience of the devastating moment of discovering breast cancer. The scale of the campaign was enhanced through a resulting viral video.

The campaign was immediately picked up by all major news media and strongly supported by the most powerful female influencers. It went viral overnight, organically reaching 32 % of the target audience (women, 18-60 yrs.) – and 50 % of the whole active female population (women and over 15 years). Women turned into strong advocates of the campaign, which become one of the most shared initiatives with a clear and powerful message: early detection through breast self-examination saves lives. The campaign also resonated in a strong positive PR effect on the Palmers brand, associating an otherwise solely beautifying product with an important women’s health issue.