Cancer Council uses ‘I heart’ symbol for Pink Ribbon Day push

Is there a week that goes by that we dont have fundraising for breast cancer? What about other forms of cancer? What about other charities?

Uninspiring effort that merely contributes noise and confusion to an already well-known and funded “pink” campaign. I bet the McGrath foundation are wrapped.

So Cancer Council all over. Look – that heart upside down looks like a pair of knockers. Tee hee – that would make me laugh like a drain if I was about to lose one of them.

Once again the Cancer Council succeed in justifying themself, rather than their motives.

As ever, I suggest donating to Cure Cancer Australia at cure.org.au where the money goes to solving the problems, not justifying cretins.

OK, so while breast cancer prevention and support is a crowded charity market, it is one area of cancer control where everyday people can make a real impact via a small donation.

The Cancer Council puts the money into prevention and treatment research as well as vital support for patients. Unlike others in the space, they do not allow pinkwashing of products like buckets of chicken (which contribute to cancer, btw).

The I <3 campaign is clearly about drawing a distinction between them and other pink causes which, when you think about it, were really only piggy backing on the CC's work, but without the same results. With a player as big as them, what you see is what you get. The money really goes where they say it will. Otherwise they wouldn't get any and they wouldn't succeed.

Also, who doesn't like a good boob?

@AdGrunt

Cancer Council invested over $20million in research last year in Victoria alone. They also invested over $20million in support services for people with cancer and prevention campaigns like sunsmart and papscreen, again, in Victoria alone.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.....l_Victoria

Campaigns like this might be YOUR pet peeve in cancer charities.
MY pet peeve is smaller charities duplicating the services offered by larger, more established charities, often costing more money in the process and employing a whole raft of new admin staff. If Cure Cancer Australia’s total income was $10, I would prefer that money to be in the hands of the cancer council than having $2m+ spent on admin.

And yes, I’ve worked with the cancer council. Cretins they ain’t.

$10million I meant.

Its breast cancer awareness month annoyed.

And i think its good. Important to keep it top of mind.

Yes, we need more charities supported, 100% agree with that. Isn’t there a stat that states more men die of prostate cancer every year than women die of breast cancer?

I think we need a male charity to own the blue colour and get some big corporate heavies on board. I think the issue will be anyone that supports Breast Cancer wouldn’t pull out their $$ to give to another and i doubt they will find more to support another charity.

Problem is @Nat, that it’s not as simple as saying that prostate cancer is the male equivelent of breast cancer. It’s not, they’re vastly different conditions which require vastly different approaches.

For those curious see http://cancer.org.au/aboutcanc.....cancer.htm

Shane, this isn’t a pissing contest.

Educate yourself about Cure (et al.) and stop sounding like you have a rather vested interest in CCV…

While you’re at it, don’t quote fictional numbers – $2m+ spent in admin? Are you drunk?

$10 to Cure Cancer says your IP is 203.36.232.131

I like the way they’re spicing it up, they have to do something to combat the charity-fatigue we are all feeling. Kudos to them I say.
I don’t see what the big deal is really, most people give $2 for a ribbon or something and the money goes to a great cause. I think there are bigger things for people to complain about than a few donations.

As a woman who has ‘lost one of them’ to breast cancer, I find the upside down heart / boobs image distasteful, but then the puerile sexualisation of what is a pretty shitty and often deadly disease seems to be the only idea in town. Either that or breast cancer is made out to look as fun as a girly tea party, one which I cannot participate in of course because I don’t have the fun, perky, pink boobs of marketing’s (one dimensional) imagination.

This is the point in the argument where people cry…”Oh but its worth offending a few people if we get more awareness!”

Yeah, no it really isn’t. There are no stats anywhere to support awareness campaigns as having any kind of efficacy in reducing breast cancer rates. Rates of breast cancer diagnosis and cure hasn’t changed much at all, in years. Its the inconvenient truth of the pink ribbon industry. But no one wants to hear that because its all too much fun to giggle at boobs isn’t it?

So…whatever Cancer Council. Totally unoriginal idea that will achieve nothing of consequence. Looking foward to the I <3 Testicles campaign with the swinging ball sac during Blue September….oops! Looks like you missed a cracker of an opportunity there!

As a marketeer in the NGO sector, I get kinda annoyed by the amount of brilliant charities that get seduced by the creative. If the good folk at CC are still measuring success by brand awareness metrics only, then I’m throwing rottin veg from the balconies. They must surely be aiming higher. Look deeper at the issues at stake, and have a crack at solving them. I’ll bet they come up with something more brilliant than a tit-gag.

Nat, there’s actually already is a blue charity initiative for men’s cancer and depression, it’s called Blue September, and I’m pretty sure it is also affiliated with The Cancer Council. Plus, who could miss, Movember, which also raises money and awareness for men’s cancer and depression. So that’s infact two entire month’s of charitable focus and awareness on men’s issues. Perhaps Pink October is just better promoted…

Also, breast cancer doesn’t only affect women – in Australia, 100 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year. No one even considers this as a possibility, because we only associated breasts with women.