Breast Cancer Canada (formerly Breast Cancer Society of Canada) just launched a new brand and campaign that showcases the amazing progress that’s been made in breast cancer research. The change isn’t just about a more elegant and modern look, but an effort to help people see how truly beautiful and meaningful the results are – and to join in their laser-focused pursuit to end breast cancer, for good.
“We needed to modernize our brand to better reflect the progressive advancement in precision oncology and breast cancer research” says Kimberly Carson, CEO of Breast Cancer Canada (BCC) “We’ve funded life-saving research for 31 years and made so much progress. We wanted our brand to better reflect it. We’re not done yet but we have come a long way.”
BCC teamed up with design and advertising agency, One Twenty Three West for the change. “Our task wasn’t just to rebrand Breast Cancer Canada, but essentially rebrand what ‘research and researchers’ typically look like.” Explains Addie Gillespie, Creative Director at 123w. “Because what they’re doing is truly groundbreaking, we wanted people to see them in a different light, and see they’re behind the advancements in treatment and detection.”
The campaign, called ‘Know More Breast Cancer”, uses ‘know’ and ‘no’ as a double entendre,framing the idea that the more we know about breast cancer, the sooner we can end it – a creative way to compliment both the research and the fact it can lead to the end of this disease. The 360 campaign launches with an emotional :60s spot that interslices research with patient experiences, featuring both breast cancer survivors and actors. The spot features a VO simply saying “No More” repeatedly, only paying off the double meaning at the end. Print, TV, OOH, digital / social, PR Stunts and a new website round out the campaign featuring both researchers and patients with lines like “Behind every survivor is a researcher on a mission,” aiming to show the power of research, and the leadership position of the charity.
It all comes together under a new brand that shows how beautiful the progress of science and research is in the face of this ugly illness. The photography direction is bold and proud, with a system grounded in editorial design to break free from the typically sterile and distant portrayal of researchers. The wordmark is meant to be elegant and beautiful while feeling breast-like and with a hint of the pink ribbon the brand has been so synonymous with. The result is a visually stunning and powerful brand.
As Kimberly reminds us. “If you don’t think it will make a difference, we have the science to prove it does.” So please share and donate.
Breast Cancer Canada (BCC) is a national non-profit charity dedicated to saving lives through breast cancer research. With a specific focus on precision oncology (personalized care/medicine) they’re the only breast cancer organization in Canada that has a clear mandate to raise money for research. They also receive no government funding, meaning all of their research is funded through the generosity of donors.
